Who’s Afraid of Jennifer Psaki?

This week’s news that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden had chosen Jennifer Psaki as his administration’s press secretary sparked a flurry of excitement on Russian state media and social media alike. “We are looking forward to Jen’s return,” said Vladimir Solovyev, a controversial host on the state-run Rossia 1 broadcaster and one of Russia’s main spin…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 5

Russia has confirmed 2,402,949 cases of coronavirus and 42,176 deaths. Dec. 5: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 27,403 coronavirus cases and 569 deaths Friday. Kazakhstan will start producing Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine from Dec. 22, the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Friday.  Ukraine won’t be purchasing Russia’s coronavirus vaccine due to its questionable efficacy, Ukraine’s…

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5K Moscow Teachers, Doctors Sign Up for Coronavirus Vaccination on First Day

Moscow’s teachers, doctors and social workers are signing up at a rate of 1,000 per hour for the Russian capital’s coronavirus vaccination drive that kicks off Saturday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said. Online vaccination bookings for high-risk groups opened in the Russian capital Friday after President Vladimir Putin ordered large-scale nationwide immunization — hours after…

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ROSATOM discussed how to achieve SDGs during Global Impact Conference 2020 “Energy of Impact”

On 1-2 December the first online Global Impact Conference 2020 “Energy for Impact” was organized in partnership with ROSATOM, the Higher School of Economics and Forbes. The event brought together over 85 experts from 26 countries, representing global corporations, state institutions and NGOs. Conference participants discussed new partnerships with a view to develop human capital…

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Russia Eyes ‘Prison-Free’ Cities

Russian authorities have said they want to relocate all prisons out of major cities, sparking concerns from activists that the move could violate prisoners’ rights and complicate visits by lawyers and relatives. Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko told state television that the mass prison relocation is part of the Federal Prison Service’s “transformation” toward “effective and…

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First session of the Board for Sustainable Business Development, Corporate Social Responsibility and Voluntary Service of TPP of Russia was held

On December 2, the first session of the Board for Sustainable Business Development, Corporate Social Responsibility and Voluntary Service of the Trade and Commerce Chamber of Russia (TPP of Russia) was held. The event was on-line in the frame of the international forum Global Impact Conference 2020. The Board included representatives of large businesses, governmental…

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NovaWind JSC wins a contract for 192,5 MW capacity as part of investment project selection

NovaWind JSC (ROSATOM division for wind power) wins a contract for 192,5 MW capacity as part of investment project selection. This project selection was final under the first RES Capacity Supply Agreement program. The VetroSGC-2 applications totalling 192,5 MW (VetroSGC-2 JSC is part of NovaWind JSC) were selected under the investment project tender for the…

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Russia to Debut ‘Flight to Nowhere’

Russia’s Pobeda low-cost airline plans to debut its own “flight to nowhere” for cooped-up passengers looking to recreate the travel experience this month, popular Pobeda pilot and flight podcast host Alexei Kochemasov has said.  Passengers will take off from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport, then land 1.5 hours later at… Vnukovo Airport. “We guarantee the crew’s…

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Russian Schoolgirl’s Art Picked for J.K. Rowling’s ‘The Ickabog’

A young Russian artist has won the illustration contest for J.K. Rowling’s first post-Harry Potter children’s book, “The Ickabog.” Artwork by Yevdokiya “Dunya” Obolenskaya, 11, is among 34 original illustrations chosen out of 42,000 submissions from around the world for Rowling’s latest book published earlier in November. “Mama had received a text message close to…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 3

Russia has confirmed 2,375,546 cases of coronavirus and 41,607 deaths. Dec. 3: What you need to know today Russia confirmed a new record of 28,145 coronavirus cases and 554 deaths. Moscow will start vaccinating at-risk groups against the coronavirus this weekend, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday. Online booking for health workers, teachers and social service workers deemed at higher risk of…

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Moscow Announces Coronavirus Vaccination Drive

Moscow will start vaccinating at-risk groups against the coronavirus this weekend, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday after President Vladimir Putin ordered large-scale immunization across the country. Online booking for health workers, teachers and social service workers deemed at higher risk of severe infection will open Friday, Sobyanin wrote on his website. “The vaccination centers will…

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Nuclear building permit for the Paks II NPP (Hungary) expected by autumn 2021

On October 3, 2020 during the working visit to Budapest (Hungary) ROSATOM Director General Alexei Likhachev met with Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orb?n. Present on the Russian side was ROSATOM Advisor to the Director General Alexander Merten along with the Russian Federation’s Ambassador in Budapest Vladimir Sergeev, while the Hungarian side was also represented by…

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Turkey Backs Crimea’s Return to Ukraine – FM

Turkey is willing to support the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula’s return to Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday.  The statement comes amid an already uneasy relationship between Moscow and Ankara, which are traditionally partners but have recently been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Syrian conflict and Libya’s civil war. In October, Turkish…

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Russian Airspace Overhaul Causes 100 Flight Cancellations

Russia’s Pobeda low-cost airline has canceled 110 flights to seven cities over a disruptive airspace overhaul that resulted in outdated flight charts and databases for western Russia, media reported Wednesday. European regulators last month warned of major changes to departure and arrival procedures after the restructure covering 49 airports across European Russia which takes effect…

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Photo Essay. Power of Siberia: inside look

December 2, 2020 A full year has passed since the ceremonial launch of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The pipeline is more than an artery for transporting the “blue fuel.” The project was conceived and is being implemented as a key part of the Eastern Gas Program, whose main goals are to create a gas industry and foster economic growth in Eastern Siberia and Russia’s Far East, to expand gas infrastructure to establish a new export…

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Siberian Ex-Police Chief Convicted for Khinkali Bribes

A former police chief in Russia’s third-largest city of Novosibirsk has been convicted for accepting bribes in the form of the popular Georgian dumpling khinkali, authorities and media said Wednesday. Alexander Grashchenkov was accused of extending criminal patronage to three local entrepreneurs in exchange for free meals, the Kommersant business daily reported earlier this fall. Between…

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ROSATOM made it into the top ten of rating of Russian companies in sustainable development by RAEX-Europe agency

The state-owned corporation “Rosatom” has made it into the top ten of rating of Russian companies in sustainable development which is combined by the rating agency RAEX-Europe. The rating results were presented on December 2. ROSATOM was inside TOP-10 winning the final 8th place. The corporation won the highest fifth place in governance (G), one…

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Skyscrapers Dance to Protect Yekaterinburg’s Architectural Heritage

The Kinoproba international festival-workshop for film-school students opened its doors in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Tuesday. The annual fest, which has hosted works from the world’s best film schools since 2004, was kicked off by an eye-catchiing short animated film called “Dance A Trois.” The film shows constructivist landmark buildings in Yekaterinburg coming to life and…

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Power of Siberia’s first year: reliable operation, increased supplies, above-target amounts

December 2, 2020, 15:15 December 2 marks a year since the start of first-ever pipeline supplies of Russian gas to China – via the Power of Siberia gas trunkline from the Chayandinskoye field. At present, Gazprom keeps ramping up its gas exports to China via Power of Siberia. For a second consecutive month, gas is being supplied in excess of the planned amounts as requested by the Chinese party. Specifically, the aggregate amount of gas supplied…

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Russia Sends 3 Films to the Golden Globe Awards

HOLLYWOOD—Russian-made films led the pack with three entries in the 78th annual Golden Globes competition. Qualifying motion pictures include director Andrei Konchalovsky’s “Dear Comrades,” Klim Shipenko’s “Text” and Yegor Abramenko’s “Sputnik.”  Russia is also represented as a co-producer in two other films: Ivan Tverdovsky’s “Conference” (Russia, Estonia, United Kingdom and Italy); and director Vadim Perelman’s…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 2

Russia has confirmed 2,347,401 cases of coronavirus and 41,053 deaths. Dec. 2: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 25,345 new coronavirus cases and a new record of 589 coronavirus deaths. Russia’s Accounts Chamber Chairman and famed liberal economist Alexei Kudrin was diagnosed with coronavirus, said the message published on his social media Monday.  Russia’s food retailers have…

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Blame Climate Change for Historically Warm Fall in Russia’s Biggest Cities, Experts Say

Global climate change is behind this year’s extraordinarily warm autumn in Moscow and St. Petersburg, experts interviewed by The Moscow Times said.  Russia’s two largest cities experienced the warmest autumn temperatures of their recorded histories in 2020, official weather services reported Tuesday.  And it’s only the beginning, experts say.  Over the next 10 years, Russia…

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