Is the WHO Too Soft on Russia?

In May, as Russia was tentatively emerging from a nationwide lockdown and clocking up near-record numbers of new infections, Russian officials began mounting an aggressive public campaign to present Moscow’s handling of the coronavirus as faultless.  Central to that was boasting about the country’s low number of fatalities compared with Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. …

Putin Still Won’t Congratulate Biden Despite Start of Formal Transition

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not congratulate U.S. President-elect Joe Biden despite news that the Trump administration has approved the formal presidential transition process, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Trump eased some lingering post-election uncertainty by tweeting late Monday that the agency that works with incoming administrations would begin work to assist Biden’s team. While the…

Yevgeny Lebedev Named ‘Baron of Hampton and Siberia’ in Britain

Queen Elizabeth II has granted Russian-British media mogul Yevgeny Lebedev the title of “Baron of Hampton and Siberia,” according to the British government’s official journal of record The Gazette. The British monarch conferred a lifetime peerage to Lebedev, 40, after his longtime friend Prime Minister Boris Johnson nominated him in July. Reports suggested that Lebedev’s…

Russian WWII Vet Given Presidential Medal for Raising Coronavirus Funds

President Vladimir Putin has awarded a Russian World War II veteran for raising funds to support the families of doctors who died from coronavirus, according to a government decree published Monday. Zinaida Korneva, 98, received the Decoration “For Beneficence” for her “great contribution to charitable and public activities,” the decree said. The medal recognizes charity…

Russian Peacekeeper Wounded in Deadly Nagorno-Karabakh Mine Blast

A Russian peacekeeper has been wounded and an Azerbaijani soldier killed in a mine explosion in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday. Four emergency workers from the unrecognized ethnic Armenian republic of Nagorno-Karabakh were also wounded in the region’s Tartar district, the Defense Ministry was cited as saying by Interfax.…

Russian New Music Gets a Reboot

A man dressed in all black mimes scrambled Brodsky verses while a cellist rakes her instrument with plastic wedges…thundering drum beats are inspired by the latest protests in Belarus… musicians in virtual reality goggles clatter on mechanical typewriters. These are just some of the images and sounds that the audience at “Russian Music 2.0” was…

Siberian Schoolkids Charged With Terror Over Minecraft Plot – Reports

Three Siberian schoolchildren have been charged with terrorism over an alleged plot to blow up a virtual security building in the popular block-building game Minecraft, according to reports. Investigators in the Krasnoyarsk region announced the arrest of three 14-year-old “anarchists” over the summer on suspicion of training at abandoned sites to commit acts of terrorism.…

NYT’s Russia Job Posting ‘Russophobic,’ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Says

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has slammed The New York Times’ job posting for a Russia correspondent, criticizing it for “political bias” and “Russophobia.” In its description for the job posted early last week, The New York Times lists its requirements for an ideal candidate along with a description of the job’s location, “Vladimir Putin’s Russia.” …

Thousands March in Belarus Opposition Rally in Minsk

Tens of thousands of Belarus opposition protesters took to the streets on Sunday, the latest large-scale rally against President Alexander Lukashenko’s contested re-election. For more than three months Belarus has been gripped by historic weekly opposition rallies following Lukashenko’s reelection to a sixth term in August, which Western governments have refused to recognise. Tens of…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 22

Russia has confirmed 2,089,329 of coronavirus and 36,179 deaths. Nov. 22: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 24,581 coronavirus cases and 401 deaths. First samples of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrived in Hungary, its developers reported Friday. In a move that has drawn criticism from the European Commission, Hungary is set to become the first EU member…

Armenia PM Urges Stronger Military Links With Russia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called Saturday for greater military cooperation with Russia, a day after Azerbaijani troops began moving into disputed territory previously held by Armenian separatist forces. “We hope we can reinforce cooperation with Russia not only in the security sector but also military and technical cooperation,” he said, according to his press service. “Of course,…

Russia Virus Toll, Deaths, Hit New Highs

Russia on Saturday registered record numbers for daily infections and deaths from the coronavirus, two days after having passed 2 million cases. Health officials reported 24,822 new infections and 476 deaths, bringing the national total to 2,064,748 million cases and 35,778 fatalities since the beginning of the year. While those figures suggest a lower death rate…

ROSATOM and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will devel workforce capacity and make efforts to create a positive public opinion on nuclear energy

On November 19, 2020, in Moscow, the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and ROSATOM signed 2 memorandums: a memorandum on cooperation in the education and training of the nuclear personnel of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a memorandum on cooperation in the creation of…

Moscow Prepares for Pandemic New Year’s

Muscovites are bracing for an unconventional holiday season after the cancellation of the city’s annual Christmas and New Year’s festivities, the closure of late-night entertainment and new restrictions on cinemas and theaters. Despite the restrictions, Moscow is already putting up extravagant lighting displays across the city, inviting residents to enjoy a festive stroll through the…

Gazprom continuing to supply gas via Power of Siberia in excess of planned amounts

Background Gazprom’s main partner in China is CNPC, a state-owned oil and gas company. Power of Siberia is the largest gas transmission system in Russia’s East. The trunkline supplies gas to consumers in Russia’s Far East and China. It has an export capacity of 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year. On May 21, 2014, Gazprom and CNPC signed the 30-year Sales and Purchase Agreement for Russian gas…

International Leaders to Discuss Human-Centric Sustainability at Global Impact Conference 2020

November 19, 2020, Moscow – On December 1-2, 2020 the first Global Impact Conference 2020 “Energy for Impact” will discuss human-centric solutions facilitating steady growth of the global economy. Over two days, 60 world-renowned experts from state institutions, businesses, NGOs and civil society will take part in the online event. The Global Impact Conference 2020…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 20

Russia has confirmed 2,039,926 cases of coronavirus and 35,311 deaths. Nov. 20: What you need to know today Russia confirmed the record-breaking number of 24,318 coronavirus cases and 461 deaths. First samples of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrived in Hungary, its developers reported Friday. In a move that has drawn criticism from the European Commission, Hungary is set to become…

Belarus Adds Opposition Telegram Channel Founders to Terror List

Belarusian authorities on Wednesday added the creators of the Nexta Live opposition Telegram channel, which mobilized protesters during the country’s ongoing post-election rallies, to a list of terrorists. Protests in the ex-Soviet country broke out in early August after strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko won a disputed reelection for a sixth term.  The opposition believe political…

Russia Threatens to Block YouTube for ‘Censoring’ State Media

Russia could block YouTube and other major U.S. social media platforms for “censoring” content from Russian state media, according to draft legislation submitted to parliament Thursday. The draft bill explains that the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Foreign Ministry would be able to identify foreign platforms they view as violating Russians’ rights by restricting content.…

Gazprom and Uniper highlight essential role of natural gas in achieving EU’s decarbonization policy goals

November 19, 2020, 15:00 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Andreas Schierenbeck, Chief Executive Officer of Uniper, took place today via a video call. The parties reviewed the state and prospects of cooperation between the companies. Particular attention was paid to the role and significance of natural gas as a green energy source in the context of Europe’s decarbonization policy…

St. Petersburg Opposition Official Questioned By Police After Ripping Putin Portrait

St. Petersburg police have questioned an opposition official after he tore up a portrait of President Vladimir Putin that replaced one of poet Alexander Pushkin, Russian media reported Thursday. Five officers arrived at the Smolninskoye municipal district session Wednesday to investigate reports that deputy Nikita Yuferev ripped Putin’s portrait, according to the St. Petersburg-based Fontanka.ru…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Top 2 Million

Russia’s coronavirus cases crossed the 2 million mark Thursday, according to an official tally of single-day infections and deaths, as officials acknowledge the deteriorating crisis but resist reinstating lockdown measures. The national coronavirus caseload reached 2,015,608 after Russia confirmed more than 23,000 coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time since the start…

Akkuyu Nuclear JSC Obtains the Construction License of Akkuyu NPP Unit 3

November 13, 2020, Ankara, Turkey – Nuclear Regulatory Board has approved the construction license for the third power unit in favor of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC. The license application package was submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) on March 28, 2019. After examining the application documentation, the Nuclear Regulatory Board adopted Resolution No. 2020-71/2-1 of…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 18

Russia has confirmed 1,991,998 cases of coronavirus and 34,387 deaths. Nov. 18: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 20,985 new coronavirus cases and 456 deaths. A total of 221,000 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections are currently undergoing treatment across Russia’s hospitals and approximately 5,000 of them require mechanical ventilation, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday. Coronavirus patients currently occupy…