EU Says Belarus Vote Not Free, Threatens Sanctions

The European Union declared Tuesday that the Belarus presidential election that returned authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko to office had been “neither free nor fair.” And, in a statement from EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell on behalf of EU members, the bloc threatened “measures on those responsible for the observed violence, unjustified arrests and falsification of…

Six Months into the Coronavirus Outbreak, Russia’s Statistics Still Provide More Questions than Answers

The death toll from the coronavirus across many Russian regions could be many times higher than official statistics show, analysis of new data by The Moscow Times suggests. Experts pointed to systemic underreporting of deaths, and highlighted a complex incentive structure and political relationship between the Kremlin and Russia’s governors in the regions.  They believe…

WHO Wants to Review Russian Vaccine Safety Data

The World Health Organization said any WHO stamp of approval on a Covid-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review, after Russia announced Tuesday it had approved a vaccine. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had become the first country to approve a vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the new coronavirus. “We are in…

Belarus Vote Results ‘Falsified,’ Lukashenko ‘Deranged’ — Russian Lawmaker

Official election results in Belarus showing an overwhelming victory for its longtime ruler were likely falsified, a senior Russian lawmaker has said in a rare stinging rebuke from Alexander Lukashenko’s traditional ally Moscow. Belarusian election officials announced that Lukashenko won more than 80% of the vote Sunday, a result that triggered ongoing nationwide protests, strikes…

Photo Exhibition Showcases Scenes From Soviet Moscow

The Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography and the Still Art Foundation have announced a new exhibition of works by Naum Granovsky, the Russian capital’s chief architectural photographer during the Soviet era, to mark the 110th anniversary of his birth. The retrospective exhibition combines Granovsky’s famous photographs of old Moscow in the 1920s and the Stalinist…

Putin Announces ‘World’s First’ Coronavirus Vaccine

Russia has registered the world’s first coronavirus vaccine early Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin announced, adding that one of his daughters has already been inoculated amid ongoing concerns about the rapidly developed vaccine’s safety.  The state-run Gamaleya research institute last week launched Phase III trials of the Covid-19 vaccine involving thousands of volunteers. The Health Ministry…

Russia Registers Less Than 5K New Coronavirus Cases

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and Sverdlovsk in the Urals. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide…