Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Atomenergomash and Petroleum Projects and Technical Consultations Company (PETROJET) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
On 16th of April Rosatom Engineering Division – JSC Atomenergomash concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Petroleum Projects and Technical Consultations Company (PETROJET), one of the leading EPC companies in the Middle East and Africa. The document was signed during the XI Atomexpo International Forum. “The signing of the memorandum is an important step…
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Russia Recognizes New Authorities in Sudan – RIA
Moscow recognizes the new authorities in Sudan after President Omar al-Bashir was ousted, Russia‘s state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying on Tuesday. The Sudanese group that led protests against the deposed president called on Monday for the transitional military council that has taken power to be disbanded and for…
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Moscow Student Convicted of Islamic State Ties Released on Parole
A Russian court has granted student Varvara Karaulova early release after she served most of her sentence for attempting to join the Islamic State terrorist group. Karaulova, who had legally changed her name to Alexandra Ivanova, was found guilty and sentenced to four and a half years behind bars in December 2016. Her defense team…
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Second Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum opens in June during SPIEF-2019
The Second Russian-Chinese Energy Business Forum will take place on June 6-7, as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Russian Federation Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security together with the State Energy Directorate of China act as the coordinators of the Forum. The Forum…
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The construction of the 2nd innovative VVER-TOI power block at the Kursk NPP-2 site has started ahead of schedule
On April 15, 2019 the team placed the first cubic meter of concrete at the construction site for the replacing Kursk NPP-2 (an affiliate of the Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock Company, a part of the Electric Power Division of ROSATOM), which marked the start of concreting the 2nd power block’s reactor building foundation. This means that the…
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Russian Cops Jailed for Torturing Suspects With Cigarettes, Boiling Water
A court in St. Petersburg has sentenced two police officers to four years behind bars for torturing suspects, the Zona Prava (Zone of Law) human rights group said Monday. Russia’s penitentiary system was rocked by a scandal last year after bodycam footage showed guards violently beating prisoners in a notorious prison outside Moscow. The leaks…
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TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom and IDOM Consulting (Spain) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
On April 16, 2019, at the 11th ATOMEXPO International Forum 2019, TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom and IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture S.A.U., Spain, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The document was signed by Konstantin Tulupov, Vice President for Business Development of TVEL JSC, and Javier Ruiz Morin, Nuclear Services Director of IDOM. The parties intend…
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Twitter, Facebook Have 9 Months to Comply With Data Law, Russian Watchdog Says
Twitter and Facebook have nine months to comply with data law by moving Russian user data onto servers in Russia, Interfax cited communications watchdog head Alexander Zharov as saying on Tuesday. Zharov was also quoted as saying he hoped Russia would not end up blocking Twitter and Facebook.
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At the ATOMEXPO 2019 the Rosatom Corporate Academy held a roundtable discussion entitled “Next Generation Nuclear: A Partnership for Development”
At the 11th ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum, the Rosatom Corporate Academy held a roundtable discussion entitled “Next Generation Nuclear: A Partnership for Development”. Providing nuclear industry enterprises with qualified personnel is crucial for the efficient and safe functioning of the industry. The roundtable experts representing the European Nuclear Education Network, ITER Organization, the International Youth…
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At the 1ATOMEXPO 2019 the Rosatom Corporate Academy held a roundtable discussion entitled “Next Generation Nuclear: A Partnership for Development”
At the 11th ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum, the Rosatom Corporate Academy held a roundtable discussion entitled “Next Generation Nuclear: A Partnership for Development”. Providing nuclear industry enterprises with qualified personnel is crucial for the efficient and safe functioning of the industry. The roundtable experts representing the European Nuclear Education Network, ITER Organization, the International Youth…
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JSC RASU and LLC Element signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Development of Electronic Component Base
April 16, 2019 – As part of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019, Joint-Stock Company Rusatom Automated Control Systems (JSC RASU) and Limited Liability Company Element signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming the intentions of the parties to work jointly on development of the Russian microelectronic component base for its future implementation in the high-technology…
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JSC RASU, MIRION TECHNOLOGIES (MGPI) SAS and RPE RADICO LTD Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Development, Localization and Supply of Radiation Monitoring Equipment
April 16, 2019 – Within the framework of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019, Joint-Stock Company Rusatom Automated Control Systems (JSC RASU), MIRION TECHNOLOGIES (MGPI) SAS (France) and its exclusive distributor in Russia RPE RADICO LTD signed the Memorandum of Understanding, which secures the agreement of the parties to implement joint projects related to localization of…
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On This Day: Vladimir Lenin Arrives at the Finland Station
After 17 years of exile in Europe, Communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin staged a triumphant return to his home country on April 16, 1917, with aims to seize power from the Russian government and install a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” His return journey would change the course of world history in ways that are still being…
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Notre Dame Fire Symbolizes Europe’s Decline, Russian Commentators Say
Russian condolences poured in after a fire tore through the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris late on Monday, but some commentators in the country said the inferno symbolized the decline of Europe. Firefighters doused the smoldering ruins of the eight-centuries-old Gothic cathedral with water on Tuesday as investigators tried to establish…
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TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM and Hermith GmbH will cooperate in developing titanium production and product promotion
At the 11th International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019, TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM and Hermith GmbH (Germany), a major European titanium supplier, have concluded an agreement on cooperation in the development of titanium production and joint promotion of products to the European and other promising markets. The signing ceremony was attended by Alexey Likhachev, Director General…
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Russian Court Sentences Norwegian National to 14 Years for Espionage
A Russian court found a Norwegian man guilty on Tuesday of espionage on Russian nuclear submarines and jailed him for 14 years in a verdict that could strain ties between Russia and its NATO-member neighbor. Frode Berg, a retired former guard on the Norwegian-Russian border, was detained in Moscow in December 2017 and tried behind…
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Russian Lawmakers Approve New Internet Isolation Law
Russia’s lower house of parliament approved on Tuesday the third reading of a draft law that aims to increase Moscow’s sovereignty over its internet segment and defend against foreign meddling, Interfax reported. The bill must now be approved by parliament’s upper house and the presidency before passing into law. The bill’s authors said earlier that…
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RASU JSC and DEF ENERGIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (France) Sign Memorandum of Understanding
April 16, 2019 – On the sidelines of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019, Rusatom Automated Control Systems, Joint-Stock Company (RASU JSC) and DEF ENERGIE ET ENVIRONNEMENT (France) signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the area of development and life cycle support of fire protection instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants. The document was…
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JSC RASU and TECNATOM Sign Memorandum of Understanding
April 16, 2019 – On the second day of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019, Joint-Stock Company Rusatom Automated Control Systems (JSC RASU) and TECNATOM (Spain) signed the Memorandum of Understanding securing the agreement of the parties to implement joint projects in the nuclear power sector. On behalf of JSC RASU, the document was signed by…
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Rusatom International Network and the University of Dunaujvaros (Hungary) strengthen cooperation
15 April 2019 in the framework of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019 in Sochi Rusatom International Network and the University of Dunaujvaros (Hungary) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. On the part of Rusatom International Network, the document was signed by the President of the company Alexander Merten, on the Hungarian side – the rector…
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TENEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SMART Power Co., Ltd. (Republic of Korea)
On 16 April 2019, in the field of the 11th International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019, TENEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SMART Power Co., Ltd. (Republic of Korea). The companies intend to begin a dialogue aimed at defining perspective mutually beneficial directions of cooperation, including supply of the fuel for Korean-designed small-sized commercial modular reactors,…
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Stalin’s Approval Rating Among Russians Hits Record High – Poll
A record 70 percent of Russians approve of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s role in Russian history, according to a poll published by the independent Levada Center pollster on Tuesday. Stalin’s image has been gradually rehabilitated in the 2000s from that of a bloody autocrat to an “outstanding leader.” President Vladimir Putin has revived the Soviet…
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TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom and IDOM sign MoU on joint international business development
In the course of the XI Atomexpo-2019 International Forum, TVEL JSC and the Spanish company IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture S.A.U signed Memorandum of Understanding. The document was signed by Kosntantin Tulupov, Vice President for Business Development and TVEL JSC, and Xabier Ruiz Morín, Director of IDOM Nuclear Services. The two companies consider various options and…
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Russia to Send Soldiers to Central African Republic as Part of UN Force
Russia will send up to 30 military personnel to Central African Republic as part of a UN mission to help stabilize the country, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The decree said the Russian contingent would include military observers, staff officers and military communications specialists. Moscow has already sent military…
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Calls to Ban Plastic Bags Mount in Russia as Trash Crisis Deepens
Russian lawmakers have stepped up calls to ban plastic bags over the past week amid mounting concerns about pollution and Russia’s national waste crisis. Moscow’s plan to export its waste to surrounding regions has riled Russian citizens in recent months, while nationwide trash reforms threaten to shut down garbage collectors in nine regions. In the…
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The ATOMEXPO AWARDS presentation ceremony was held in Sochi
On April 15, the ATOMEXPO AWARDS Presentation Ceremony was held in Sochi as part of the ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum. This international professional award acknowledges the contribution to the development and use of nuclear technologies for the benefit of humanity. The award competition was held in five categories: “Nuclear technologies: Improving the quality of life”…
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At ATOMEXPO 2019, the mayors of nuclear cities discussed the draft international standard “Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-sized Cities
On April 15 in Sochi, at the ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum, the heads of administrations of “nuclear” cities discussed the draft international standard “Sustainable development of small and medium-sized cities”, prepared by experts of the Technical Committee 268 “Sustainable cities and communities” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Rusatom Infrastructural Solutions LLC , Technical…
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Atomexpo-2019: Certificates of Conformity with IEC Standards for New USG Low Voltage Switchgear Line Awarded to JSC RASU and UEMZ
April 15, 2019 – As part of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019, Mr. Andrey Butko, Chief Executive Officer, JSC RASU, and Mr. Nikolay Groshev, Deputy General Director for Civil Production, JSC Ural Electromechanical Plant (JSC UEMZ) received two certificates of conformity with the standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for low voltage switchgear (LVSG)…
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Rusatom Healthcare, Rusatom International Network and the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of cooperation
On April 15, in Sochi, Rusatom Healthcare JSC, Rusatom International Network (RIN) industrial complex and the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of cooperation in radiation technologies and nuclear medicine. The document was signed on the sidelines of the XI ATOMEXPO-2019 International Forum. On the part of…
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JSC National Nuclear Research Center (Azerbaijan) and Rusatom International Network signed a memorandum of understanding on personnel training
JSC National Nuclear Research Center (Azerbaijan) and Rusatom International Network signed a memorandum of understanding on personnel training for joint use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. In Sochi (Russia), on April 15, on the sidelines of the international forum ATOMEXPO-2019, JSC National Nuclear Research Center, Azerbaijan, and Rusatom International Network, Russia, signed a memorandum…
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JSC “CDBMB” will purchase blanks for NPP pumping equipment from ŽĎAS
JSC “CDBMB” (belongs to the Engineering Division of Rosatom – JSC Atomenergomash) has concluded a long-term contract with the Czech company ŽĎAS for delivery of forgings for manufacture of pumping equipment. The contract has been signed in the course of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO-2019. Under the contract, the Czech company will provide JSC “CDBMB”…
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VEB.RF and Rosatom intend to cooperate in NPP construction project in Uzbekistan
VEB.RF (Vnesheconombank) and the ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation signed a cooperation agreement. The parties expressed their intention to cooperate in the implementation of the project on construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. The ceremony was held during the 11th ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum in Sochi Nuclear for better life. The document was…
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Russia and Ethiopia map their cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy
April 15, 2019, Sochi. – Russian Federation and the Republic of Ethiopia have signed a three-year roadmap for establishing cooperation on the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and a Center for nuclear science and technology (CNST) in the African country. The document was signed within the framework of the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO…
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Russia and Serbia strengthen cooperation in the field of training personnel and public awareness in nuclear technologies
On April 15, 2019, during the XI International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019, Russia and Serbia signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs). The first document defines the areas of cooperation in the field of personnel education and training, and the second establishes the principles of forming public opinion about peaceful use of nuclear technology. From the Russian…
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Rosatom and TMK signed a cooperation agreement
On 15 April 2019, Rosatom State Corporation and the Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK) signed a cooperation agreement during the 11th ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum in Sochi The document was signed by Kirill Komarov, First Deputy Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, First Deputy CEO of Corporate Development & International Business, and Alexander…
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Fakel sports and technical club of Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy emerges victorious in 2018/2019 snocross season
News from projects and regions April 15, 2019, 16:00 On April 13–14, Novy Urengoy hosted the 7th round of the 2019 Russian Snocross Championship and Tournament organized by the National Russian Motorcycle Federation. After the final round of the competition, the Fakel sports and technical club of Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy was declared the winner of the Russian Snocross Championship in team standings.…
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Russia Has Ceased ‘All’ Cooperation With NATO, Foreign Ministry Official Says
Russia has stopped all cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with state media on Monday. The Western alliance suspended military and civilian cooperation with Russia in the spring of 2014 in response to Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Several disputes, including a naval…
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ROSATOM and the Eurasian Development Bank have signed an agreement on mutual understanding and cooperation
Sochi, April 15, 2019 — Ilya Rebrov, Chief Financial Officer of the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM, and Vsevolod Smakov, Head of Directorate for Industry of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), signed an agreement on mutual understanding and cooperation at the 11th ATOMEXPO 2019 International Forum. The agreement opens up prospects for joint work with…
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The heads of Russian and French municipalities signed a cooperation agreement on ATOMEXPO 2019
The heads of Russian and French municipalities of the territories where final disposal sites of radioactive waste are located signed a cooperation agreement on the fringes of the International Forum ATOMEXPO 2019. The document was signed by the head of the Association of ZATO Alexey Golubev and President of municipalities community of Vendeuvre-Soulaines of Aube…
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‘Weakling Chicks’ Are Replacing ‘Real Men,’ Russian Church Official Says
Russia’s “real men” are being replaced by “scrawny chickens,” a Russian Orthodox official said on Monday as heated debates surround the concept of toxic masculinity and the #MeToo movement in the West. Many Russian women raise their children independently due to the country’s high divorce rate — in 2016, Russians were 1.6 times more likely…
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Russia’s Trash Reform Risks Shutting Down Collectors in 9 Regions
Trash collection companies in at least nine Russian regions are at risk of shutting down over unpaid bills, the Vedomosti business daily reported on Monday. The difficulties are blamed on nationwide reforms tasking regions with choosing operators to collect waste that took effect on Jan. 1. The reforms have been criticized for increasing the costs of…
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On This Day: On April 15, 1949 Singer Alla Pugacheva Was Born
On this day in 1949, Alla Borisovna Pugacheva was born and went on to become the Soviet Union’s and Russia’s most famous, celebrated, and prolific singer. Alla Borisovna — no surname required — started training her powerful voice at the age of five. By the time she was studying in a music institute, she was…
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Official opening ceremony of the XI International Forum Atomexpo 2019 took place in Sochi
On 15 April 2019, the XI International Forum Atomexpo 2019 was officially opened in Sochi. Over 3.600 guests from 74 countries registered for the Forum this year (six more than last year). Among the new countries represented at the Forum are Qatar, Bahrain and Nicaragua. This year the participants will have a busy business program,…
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Opposition Leaders Arrested in Ingushetia After Violent Protests
At least two opposition leaders in Russia’s republic of Ingushetia have been arrested on charges of attacking police shortly after being released from detention following protests against a divisive border-change deal. Thousands took to the streets in Ingushetia last month over a land swap deal signed last fall with the neighboring republic of Chechnya in…
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Russia’s Rusal to Build Aluminum Plant in U.S.
Russia’s biggest aluminum producer Rusal has agreed on a joint project to build a rolling mill in the U.S. just three months after the Trump administration lifted sanctions on the metals giant. In April 2018, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, Rusal and other companies in which he owns stakes, citing…
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Alleged Islamic State Members Killed During FSB Raid in Siberia
Two suspected Islamic State members were killed during a shootout in the Siberian town of Tyumen following a raid by the Federal Security Service (FSB). Russia‘s National Anti-Terrorism Commitee released footage in the early hours of Saturday showing security measures around the streets where the raid took place. According to the committee, the FSB obtained…
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On This Day: April 13, 1990
On this day, on April 13, 1943, the German army under Adolf Hitler announced the discovery of mass graves near the village of Katyn not far from Smolensk. The Nazis accused the Soviet Union of the mass murder of Polish officers. For almost five decades, the Soviet Union denied all responsibility, insisting that the murders…
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‘Stalingrad’ by Vasily Grossman
In June a new translation of a new version of Vasily Grossman’s “Stalingrad” is being released. Edited by Robert Chandler and Yury Bit-Yunan and translated from the Russian by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler, it promises to, if not revolutionize readers’ understanding of Vasily Grossman, then at least expand and augment it. We couldn’t wait to…
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Putin’s Salary Halved in 2018, Kremlin Says
President Vladimir Putin earned less than half in 2018 than he did the previous year, the Kremlin announced on Friday. Putin earned 18.7 million rubles ($291,000) in 2017, the state-run RIA Novosti news outlet quoted a Kremlin announcement as saying. His pay in 2018 fell to 8.6 million rubles ($134,000). Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s yearly…
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UN Committee Sides Against Russia in First Domestic Violence Ruling
Russia has breached the rights of a Chechen domestic abuse victim, a United Nations women’s rights panel ruled on Friday in what has been called the UN’s first decision on domestic violence in the country. Domestic violence complaints have skyrocketed since President Vladimir Putin passed a 2017 law decriminalizing first-time abuse where beatings resulted in…
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Russia Fines Facebook For Failing to Provide Information on User Data
A court in Russia fined Facebook on Friday for failing to tell authorities where it stores Russian user data, Russian news agencies reported, a ruling that highlights wrangling between tech giants and Moscow as it ramps up internet controls. The court fined Facebook 3,000 rubles ($47) for not providing information in line with legislation that…
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Moscow Real Estate Prices Among World’s Fastest-Growing
Moscow’s real estate costs rose at some of the highest rates in the world last year, the global real estate and investment firm CBRE Group said Thursday. The city of some 12.5 million people has seen its cost of living fall this year and it ranked outside the world’s 50 most expensive cities last year.…
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Explore “Life After Life” in St. Petersburg
Melancholy, peace, nostalgia… these and other emotions are described by visitors as they make their way through darkened halls filled with art, accompanied by the lonely sound of a piano and the faint scent of sandalwood incense. “Life After Life,” the new exhibition at the Manege, explores death, one of the most universal themes in…
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Russia to Send ‘Outstanding Citizens’ to Space for Free
Russia’s state space agency plans to send “outstanding citizens” to the International Space Station (ISS) at no cost in exchange for their achievements, the agency’s head announced on Thursday. The Roscosmos space agency plans to send tourists to the ISS in late 2021 under a deal signed with the U.S. tourism firm Space Adventures. Dmitry…
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The innovation Unit 2 of Novovoronezh Phase II has started first power stage
On April 11, 2019, Novovoronezh Phase II (a branch of Rosenergoatom Concern JSC, part of ROSATOM’s Power Division) has started the first power program at Unit 2 after getting a permit from the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia. Novovoronezh Plant Manager Vladimir Povarov said that the permit from Rostechnadzor meant that…
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On This Day: Yury Gagarin Orbits Earth on Vostok 1
On this day in 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yury Gagarin became the first human to travel into outer space. On board the “Vostok 1,” Gagarin successfully orbited earth in his space capsule. During the journey, which lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes, Gagarin said little. The only known statement recorded from him: “Flight is proceeding normally.…
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Delegation of French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission Visited PDC DUGR JSC
The visit of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) delegation to the production location of JSC “Pilot and Demonstration Center for Decommissioning of Uranium-Graphite Reactors” took place in Seversk on April 8-12, 2019. TENEX experts also took part in the visit. During the visit, the French delegation learned about ROSATOM’s unique expertise…
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Cosmonautics Day: Russia’s Space Exploration In Photos
Three years later, Belka and Strelka gained a place in history as the first animals to survive space orbit. Accompanied by a rabbit, 42 mice, two rats, flies and several plants, the duo and all their traveling companions made it safely back to earth. Sergei Preobrazhensky, Nikolai Sitnikov / TASS
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Richest 3% Russians Hold 90% of Country’s Financial Assets – Study
The wealthiest 3 percent of Russians owned 89 percent of all financial assets in 2018, according to joint research by the Higher School of Economics and the state-run VEB Bank. This is the first time a comprehensive study of wealth inequality has been attempted in Russia, the Kommersant business daily reported on Friday. Last month,…
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Russians Not Under Threat in Sudan Following Military Coup, Embassy Says
Russians traveling in Sudan are not in danger after the ouster of the African nation’s longtime leader and ongoing unrest, the Russian Embassy in Khartoum said Thursday. An estimated 140 Russian citizens are registered as residing in Sudan, where a military coup overthrew President Omar al-Bashir, a close ally of Russia, after 30 years of…
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