Month: October 2019
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Russia Will Find Ways to Help Cuba Get Oil, Medvedev Says
Russia will find ways to help Cuba secure supplies of oil and petroleum products, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview broadcast on Saturday. Medvedev pledged to help develop Cuba’s energy sector during a visit to the island this week, but did not announce any short-term measures to provide relief for the island…
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Summer Falls Away, in Photos
After a long, warm summer of shashlik in the park and skateboards on the streets, Moscow is settling into colder nights and shorter days. But before winter gets here, we’re enjoying the colors and shades of autumn! Here’s a look at the capital this season.
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The Binocular Brigade in Moscow Parks
From yoga to pho to escape rooms, Moscow has gone through more than its fair share of fads in the past couple of decades. While predicting what the next wave will be is like trying to guess which of your aunt’s cat videos is going to go viral on YouTube, one sleeper contender for Moscow’s…
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TITAN-2 and Framatome-Siemens Consortium sign contract for Hanhikivi-1 NPP (Finland) main I&C supply
October 2, 2019, Moscow – TITAN-2 JSC, contractor for building and supply of equipment for Hanhikivi-1 NPP (Finland) construction, has signed a contract with Framatome-Siemens, the French-German consortium, to supply Main Instrumentation and Control (I&C). The contract was signed following a competitive procedure with the participation of international companies that are market leaders in the…
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Russia and Cuba will consider the construction of a Multipurpose Irradiation Center
On October 3, 2019 in Havana, an agreement for the implementation of a project for the construction of a multipurpose irradiation center in the Republic of Cuba was signed. Jose Fidel Santana, Vice Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, and Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General at ROSATOM, signed the document on the Cuban side and…
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Winners of Oil and Gas Projects: Glance into Future competition for young scientists announced
Release October 4, 2019, 19:00 The award ceremony for the Oil and Gas Projects: Glance into the Future international competition for young scientists took place at the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. The top prize went to Vadim Tsygankov, associate professor at the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University), for his project entitled Liquefied Petroleum…
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Russia and the Philippines agreed to collaborate in the area of small modular reactors
October 4th, 2019, Moscow – Rusatom Overseas JSC and The Department of Energy of the Republic of Philippines and signed Memorandum of Intent on cooperation in the sphere of small modular reactors. In the frames of MoI parties agreed to conduct a pre-feasibility study on construction in the Philippines of nuclear power plants based on…
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Putin Says It’s ‘Cynical’ to Blame Stalin for World War II
Blaming Stalin for starting World War II is “the height of cynicism,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has said amid renewed discussion over the Soviet Union’s role in the conflict. “To say that Stalin unleashed the war is the height of cynicism,” Putin said at an international conference in southern Russia on Thursday. “It’s as if…
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Tolstoy and Gandhi: From Non-Violence to Climate Change
The year was 1909. Mahatma Gandhi was 40 years old and just starting out; Leo Tolstoy was 81 and one of the most famous men in the world. In a letter written on Dec. 14, 1908 by Tolstoy in response to an Indian revolutionary, the Russian writer argued that only through the principle of love could…
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RASU, SNIIP and Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH (Germany) Sign Memorandum of Understanding as Part of Ongoing Discussions Regarding Potential Projects
October 03, 2019 – Within the framework of the Russian Energy Week 2019 international forum, Rusatom Automated Control Systems JSC (RASU JSC), JSC Specialized Scientific Research Institute for Instrumentation Engineering (JSC SNIIP) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH (Germany) signed the Memorandum of Understanding, which marks the beginning of, and provides the general framework for…
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Russia’s Protest Movement is Expanding and Becoming Political, Study Says
Russia’s protest movement is spreading across the country and narrowing its focus to political issues, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday, citing a new study that tallied 434 rallies from April-June 2019. The Moscow-based Center for Social and Labor Rights NGO found that only the Chechnya and Chukotka regions saw little protest activity. “There are…
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Gas workers plant apple trees in Tchaikovsky
Background Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom. The company is focused on natural gas transmission to consumers in the Perm Territory, the Republic of Udmurtia, the Kirov Region and the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as on gas transit via 15 gas trunklines to the central regions of the Russian Federation and abroad. The company maintains over 10,500 kilometers of gas trunklines carrying more than 300 billion cubic meters of gas. The…
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Russian Airlines Demand That Kremlin Pay Losses for Georgia Flight Ban
Russian airlines are demanding the government compensate them for three months of losses from suspended flights to Georgia as the neighboring countries move toward resuming the schedule, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday. President Vladimir Putin ordered the temporary ban of passenger flights from Russia to Georgia following an outbreak of unrest in Tbilisi triggered…
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Gazprom names best inventors and innovators among its subsidiaries
Release October 4, 2019, 14:30 The award ceremony of the 2018 corporate contest for the best inventors and innovators took place today at the meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of Gazprom as part of the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. The top place in the Best Inventor among Gazprom’s Subsidiaries category was shared by Gazprom Transgaz Krasnodar and Severneftegazprom. In 2018, these…
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Japanese Video Game Legend Hideo Kojima Visits Russia
Legendary game designer Hideo Kojima has arrived in Russia to promote his latest game, “Death Stranding,” at the IgroMir computer and video game expo. “Death Stranding” is a post-apocalyptic action thriller created exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and set to be released on Nov. 8. The game’s main characters were designed to resemble stars like…
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Russia Puts on the Cosplay at Moscow Comic-Con
As comic culture continues to catch on in Russia, Moscow’s annual Comic-Con has delighted, enthralled and captivated fans of comics and superheroes alike. This year’s event alone is expected to draw more than 160,000 people. Similar to Comic-Cons in other countries, the event is a pop culture smorgasbord, showcasing the latest in movies, television and…
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The Shape of Water in St. Petersburg
Nicknamed the “Venice of the North” for its canals, rivers and bridges, St. Petersburg has had a close bond with Italy since it was first built on the Neva River. Peter the Great, envisioning a capital for his empire that could compare to the great capitals of Europe, invited the Swiss-Italian architect Domenico Trezzini to…
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Russian Journalist Detained in Iran on Espionage Charges
Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik has been detained in Iran on suspicion of espionage, according to her family members and Russian media reports. Yuzik’s disappearance was first announced by her daughter, who said her mother was arrested “in another country” and that her trial was scheduled for this Saturday. She faces up to 10 years on…
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Kremlin Hails Special Relationship With China Amid Missile System Cooperation
The Kremlin said on Friday that Moscow’s move to help Beijing build an early warning system to detect missile attacks showed the two countries had a special relationship. President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was helping China build an early warning system to spot intercontinental ballistic missile launches, something only Russia and the United States possess at…
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Russia’s ‘Core’ Middle Class Shrinks to 10M – HSE
Only 10.3 million people in Russia can be fully considered as members of the middle class, according to Moscow’s Higher School of Economics (HSE). Real wages have been declining for five years in a row, fueled by Western sanctions and low oil prices. State-run media analysis of official data placed Russia’s middle-class figures at 14%,…
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Kremlin Says It Favors All-for-All Prisoner Swap With Ukraine
Ukraine plans to carry out a major prisoner swap with Russia and hopes it will take place next week, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said late on Thursday. The comments come after a breakthrough at talks between Moscow and Kiev this week that open the way for an international summit to be held aimed at…
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Acne on Instagram? Russian Women Share Their Images of Beauty
In a new wave of Russian feminism, thousands of women are posting selfies on social media showing their pimples, cellulite and hair loss to challenge beauty stereotypes that women’s rights activists say fuel low self-esteem and eating disorders. The #AllIsFineWithMe trend — started by a Russian teen who has struggled with anorexia — is the latest initiative…
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Russia’s Medvedev Slams U.S. for Cuba Embargo During Havana Trip
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lambasted the Trump administration on Thursday for trying to create a “toxic atmosphere” around Cuba, during a two-day trip to the island demonstrating Russia’s support for its Communist government. The former Soviet Union was Cuba’s main backer for decades and Moscow has sought to renew its commercial, military and political…
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Greta Thunberg Takes on Putin’s Criticism With Twitter Bio
Greta Thunberg has changed her Twitter profile in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s criticism of the Swedish climate activist for her United Nations speech. The 16-year-old schoolgirl denounced world leaders at the UN General Assembly last month for failing to tackle climate change, igniting a backlash among Russians. Putin criticized Thunberg’s speech Wednesday, calling…
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Gazprom and OMV host new cultural event in St. Petersburg
Release October 3, 2019, 21:30 A music and visual art performance entitled “Imperial Capitals: St. Petersburg – Vienna. 20th Century” took place today at the Grand Hall of the Dmitry Shostakovich St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonia. The event was held as part of the joint cultural project of Gazprom and Austria’s OMV. The concert, which was attended by more than a thousand people, became the…
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Gazprom and VNG advancing sci-tech cooperation
Background Gazprom VNIIGAZ is the leading R&D technology center of Gazprom focused on designing and promoting cutting-edge technologies, modeling, regulatory and metrological support, supervising research activities within Gazprom’s comprehensive programs as well as devising national and regional development programs for the gas industry. VNG is engaged in natural gas imports, underground storage and consumer supplies in Germany’s eastern federal states and in Berlin. In January 2013,…
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Gazprom and Thales Alenia Space intent on joining efforts in spacecraft production
Background The spacecraft assembly project of Gazprom will make it possible to produce high-end world-class spacecraft primarily designed to increase the capacity of the Yamal orbital satellite constellation and the SMOTR remote sensing satellites owned by the Company. These space systems provide for technological communication and monitoring of the Gazprom Group’s production facilities. The in-house assembly facility is expected to reduce costs and shorten…
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Gazprom and SPbPU to expand cooperation in personnel training and sci-tech
Background Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is a multifunctional state higher education institution. In 2010, it was granted the status of a national research university. It includes 11 basic institutes, units of further education, the New Production Technologies NTI Competence Center, and a complex of research units. SPbPU is one of the core universities of Gazprom. The university has the specialized department of Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg, which…
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Siberian Shaman Declared ‘Insane’ After Trek to ‘Cast Out’ Putin
A Siberian shaman who had been crossing Russia by foot to exorcise President Vladimir Putin has been declared “insane,” his lawyer says. Officials had placed the shaman, Alexander Gabyshev, in a psychiatric hospital after he was detained about 3,000 kilometers into his journey to Moscow. Gabyshev is now reportedly facing criminal charges of calling for…
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Documents signed to support domestic NGV market
Release October 3, 2019, 18:20 Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, today signed at the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum a series of documents with the heads of a number of companies and Russian regions to enhance the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel. A roadmap for accelerated development of the NGV market until 2024 was signed with Maxim Shaskolsky, Vice Governor of St.…
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Gazprom Energoholding considering acquisition of REP Holding
Background Gazprom Energoholding, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, manages the core companies of the Gazprom Group in the power generation sector (Mosenergo, TGC-1, OGK-2, and MOEK). GPB Asset Development is a specialized company in the structure of Gazprombank (Joint Stock Company), established to improve operational efficiency in terms of asset management, restructuring of troubled assets, and supporting transactions with assets under management. REP Holding is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of next-generation…
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Gazprom and Irkutsk Oil Company contemplating joint development project in Krasnoyarsk Territory
Release October 3, 2019, 18:00 Oleg Aksyutin, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of Department, and Nikolai Buynov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Irkutsk Oil Company, today signed at the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum a Memorandum of Intent. Pursuant to the document, the companies intend to jointly set up the Project for exploration, production, transportation, processing and sale of hydrocarbons from…
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Russia Jails the Most People in Europe, Monitor Says
Russia jails more people than any other European country, according to a report published by the All-Russia Civil Forum civic monitor. Russia’s prison system has been under scrutiny since mid-2018, when revelations of torture sparked nationwide inspections and dozens of legal cases. The country has the world’s fourth-largest prison population, according to The World Prison…
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Blue Corridor – Gas into Engines 2019 Rally successfully concludes in St. Petersburg
Release October 3, 2019, 17:50 Photos The closing ceremony of the international Blue Corridor – Gas into Engines 2019 Rally for vehicles powered by natural gas took place today at the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. The race was sponsored by Gazprom and Germany’s Uniper. The ceremony was attended by Viktor Zubkov, Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors, and Uwe Fip,…
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Gazprom and Linde to establish joint engineering venture
Release October 3, 2019, 17:45 Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Christian Bruch, Executive Vice President and CEO of Linde Engineering, and John van der Velden, Managing Director of Linde Engineering, today signed at the 9th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum the Joint Venture Contract and Joint Venture Participants Agreement between Gazprom 335 and Linde AG. In accordance…
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Russian opera to be staged at world-famous Salzburg Festival
Background The Salzburg Festival is a world-known festival of music and drama held every summer in Salzburg, Austria. Traditionally, its program consists primarily of classical music concerts and performances of drama and opera. The Festival was founded in 1920 by poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal, theater and film director Max Reinhardt, composer Richard Strauss, head of the Wiener Staatsoper Franz Schalk, and set designer Alfred…
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Russian Homeless Opera Singer’s Viral Performance Inspires Outpouring of Support
Video of a homeless woman singing an Italian opera on a Los Angeles subway platform has become a social media sensation, inspiring multiple offers of professional and financial support. Viewers have reached out through social media to offer Emily Zamourka, 52, housing in the form of an Airbnb. One California man has invited her to perform at…
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Norwegian Coast Guard Ship Makes Port Call in Russia’s North
These days, it’s not very common to see a grey-colored NATO ship sailing into a Russian port. Sailing in the Dvina river delta, the Norwegian Coast Guard ship received some attention. These waters in the White Sea are of strategic importance for Russia. Both the shipyard for building nuclear-powered submarines in Severodvinsk and the mysterious…
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Powerful Fleet of LNG Tankers Sails Arctic Route to Asia as Ice Shrinks to Year’s Low
At least six top ice-class Arc7 tankers traveled the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route in the last days of September and early October. It is the most complicated part of the Arctic shipping route. Normally, ice lies thick in the area until late July and the waters start to freeze again in early…
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FBI Recruits D.C.-Area Russians With Russian-Language Facebook Ads
The FBI appears to be recruiting Russians living in and around the U.S. capital with awkwardly worded and grammatically incorrect Russian-language Facebook ads, CNN has reported. Washington and Moscow have traded accusations of espionage, disinformation and other influence campaigns as relations between the powers have deteriorated to Cold War levels. An investigation into the 2016…
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Rosneft Publishes Atlas “Russian Arctic. Space, Time, Resources”
Rosneft together with Innopraktika, a non-governmental development institute, has published a unique atlas “Russian Arctic. Space, Time, Resources”.
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Verkhnechonskneftegaz to Produce Additional 221 Thousand Tonnes of Oil Due to Introduction of Enhanced Oil Recovery Method
Experts of Verkhnechonskneftegaz JSC, a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company, have successfully implemented a physical and chemical method of enhanced oil recovery and achieved a 54% increase in additional oil production using this technology in 2018 compared to 2017.
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Russian Cities at Risk as Climate Change Accelerates Permafrost Thaw — Report
Russia’s permafrost is expected to thaw at an accelerating rate between now and 2100, a process that could trigger a “feedback loop” of carbon emissions, according to a new report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). More than 50% of Russia’s territory is located in the planet’s frozen cryosphere. The country is…
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Russia PM Visit Shows Support for Cuba Amid U.S. Hostility
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev kicks off an official two-day visit to Havana on Thursday in a strong show of Russia’s support for the communist-run island as it faces escalating pressure from the United States. Moscow has sought to renew its commercial, military and political ties with Cuba in recent years, as part of a…
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Russian Court Orders LGBT Groups to Disband for Posting on Social Network
A court in St. Petersburg has ruled that two LGBT groups must be disbanded for posting information for the community on Russia’s largest social network, VKontakte, the city’s joint court press service said Thursday. VKontakte is obliged to block LGBT groups due to Russia’s controversial so-called “gay propaganda law,” which since 2013 has prohibited “propaganda…
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Outgoing U.S. Envoy in Russia Calls for Paul Whelan’s Release
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador in Moscow Jon Huntsman has urged the Russian government to release Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage. Whelan, 49, who Russian authorities say was detained while receiving classified information late in December 2018, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of spying. He denies…
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Dozens of Russian Mercenaries Killed in Libya – Meduza
Between 10 and 35 Russian mercenaries may have died while fighting in Libya’s civil war that has plunged the oil-producing nation into crisis, the Meduza news website has reported, citing unnamed colleagues and veterans. Forces loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar in April launched an offensive to take Tripoli, held by Libya’s internationally recognized government,…
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Sberbank Hit by Huge Data Breach
The personal details of millions of Sberbank customers may have been leaked, in what would be the largest-ever data breach in Russian banking, according to cyber security experts. Analysts at cybersecurity firm DeviceLock found personal information relating to up to 60 million Sberbank credit card holders for sale on the black market. They were able…
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On This Day Sergei Yesenin Was Born
Born in Konstantinovo, Ryazan, to a peasant family, Sergei Yesenin was at an early age sent to live with his grandparents, who were better off and played a major role in raising him. With his three grown-up uncles, a young Yesenin was taught how to swim, hunt and ride horses. His grandmother, a religious woman,…
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Georgian Composer Giya Kancheli Dies at 85
Georgian composer Giya Kancheli died Wednesday at age 85. He had been gravely ill and was being treated abroad prior to his death. Kancheli is best known for composing the soundtrack for the 1977 comedy “Mimino” and the 1986 science fiction film “Kin-dza-dza!.” He also had a distinguished career writing music for theater, opera and…
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Russia Calls on Pyongyang to Crack Down on North Korean Poachers
North Korea needs to rein in its poachers in Russian waters, Russia’s Ambassador in Pyongyang has said in the wake of a recent flare-up between the allies. Russian guards have detained hundreds of North Korean fishermen in four roundups in recent weeks, one of which resulted in a North Korean man’s death. The detentions mark…
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Russians Most Likely to View China Positively Among Major Countries – Pew
Russians view China most positively out of dozens of countries, according to a U.S.-based Pew Research Center report that shows global perceptions of China have declined in the past year. Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw a massive military parade through central Beijing on Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s…
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Putin Backs Trump in U.S. Domestic Row, Jokes About Election Meddling
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sided with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in the domestic political storm raging in the United States, and briefly joked that Moscow would hack the U.S. presidential election in 2020. Putin said Trump, who faces an impeachment inquiry over accusations that he pressured Ukraine’s president to dig up dirt…
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Russian Hostels in Apartments Still Open Despite New Ban – Reports
Many Russian hostels and hotels located in residential buildings are still open for booking despite a controversial ban that went into effect yesterday, according to media reports. Under the new law, it’s now illegal to provide hotel services in residential buildings, sparking concerns for the future of budget travel in Russia. Hoteliers previously warned that…
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Italian Circus Traverses Russia With Exotic Animal Performers, Igniting Animal Rights Concerns
One of the oldest and largest Italian circuses has arrived in Russia’s northernmost city of Pevek after an epic cross-country trek — but their tour has raised concerns among Russians over the ethics of using wild animals as performers. The Togni circus, which includes human and animal performers, had come all the way from Kazan…
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Russian iPhone User Sues Apple for Turning Him Gay
A Russian man is seeking more than $15,000 in damages from Apple after claiming that the U.S. tech giant drove him to homosexuality, the Govorit Moskva radio station has reported. The plaintiff, identified as D. Razumilov, alleges that he became “mired in same-sex relationships” this summer after receiving 69 GayCoins on a cryptocurrency payment app…
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Putin Slams Climate Activist Greta Thunberg’s UN Speech
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday took aim at teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, telling an energy forum he did not share the excitement about her United Nations speech last month. The 16-year-old Swede electrified the UN summit in New York when she denounced world leaders for failing to tackle climate change, unleashing the outrage…
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Moscow Cancer Center Employees Threaten to Quit as Doctor Resignation Wave Hits Capital
A wave of resignations sweeping Russia’s health sector has reached the country’s capital this week after employees at one of Moscow’s best cancer hospitals threatened to quit in protest of its new leadership. Nurses, doctors, ambulance staff and paramedics across Russia have expressed their grievances by resigning or staging various forms of strikes since the…
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Putin Says No Proof Iran Was Behind Saudi Oil Attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that there was no evidence that Iran was responsible for an attack on Saudi oil infrastructure last month and that the United States had not presented any proof of Iran’s role. France tried to set up a meeting between the leaders of Iran and the United States after…
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‘A Victory for Common Sense’: Russia Reacts to Ukraine’s Donbass Compromise
Ukraine has agreed to sign a peace plan with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine that it had previously rejected, marking the first major breakthrough since a lapsed 2015 peace accord and a step toward an international peace summit. Negotiators meeting in Minsk, Belarus on Tuesday agreed on a schedule to allow elections in eastern Ukraine’s…