rferl--2020-12-30--Russia Bars More British Officials From Entry Over Navalny Sanctions

Russia says it has expanded its list of British citizens barred from entering the country in response to London ’ s `` unconstructive and unfriendly '' decision to sanction Russian officials over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny .
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the move on December 30 , without mentioning how many British individuals had been blacklisted or their names .
In October , Britain , along with the European Union , imposed travel bans and asset freezes on six senior Russian officials and a state scientific research center for the `` attempted assassination '' of Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a near fatal poisoning .
Moscow earlier this month hit EU countries with reciprocal sanctions in response to the bloc 's measures .
The opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20 .
He was placed in an induced coma in a Siberian hospital before being transferred to a clinic in Germany .
Laboratory tests conducted in Germany , France , and Sweden have established that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent of the Novichok class , a conclusion confirmed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weapons .
Navalny has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning .
Russian officials , including President Vladimir Putin , have denied involvement and have refused to open a criminal investigation into the incident .
Russia on December 29 also hit German officials with entry bans after the EU and Britain sanctioned Russian intelligence officers over a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament .

Russia says it has expanded its list of British citizens barred from entering the country in response to London’s "unconstructive and unfriendly" decision to sanction Russian officials over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the move on December 30, without mentioning how many British individuals had been blacklisted or their names.
In October, Britain, along with the European Union, imposed travel bans and asset freezes on six senior Russian officials and a state scientific research center for the "attempted assassination" of Navalny, who is currently recovering in Germany from a near fatal poisoning.
Moscow earlier this month hit EU countries with reciprocal sanctions in response to the bloc's measures.
The opposition politician and anti-corruption campaigner fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20. He was placed in an induced coma in a Siberian hospital before being transferred to a clinic in Germany.
Laboratory tests conducted in Germany, France, and Sweden have established that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent of the Novichok class, a conclusion confirmed by the international Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Navalny has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his poisoning.
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have denied involvement and have refused to open a criminal investigation into the incident.
Russia on December 29 also hit German officials with entry bans after the EU and Britain sanctioned Russian intelligence officers over a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament.


rferl--2020-12-30--Putin Signs Amendments To 'Foreign Agents' Law That Critics Say Undermine Democracy

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a raft of legislation that human rights watchdogs and opposition politicians have said will undermine democratic processes .
The controversial legislation came into force immediately upon being signed into law on December 30 and included an amendment to a law that allows individuals and public entities to be recognized as foreign agents if they are considered to be engaged in political activities `` in the interests of a foreign state . ''
Grounds for being recognized as a `` foreign agent '' could be the purposeful collection of information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could harm Russia 's security ; holding rallies or political debates ; providing opinions on state policies ; actions promoting a certain outcome in an election or referendum ; or participation as an electoral observer or in political parties if they are done in the interest of a foreign entity .
Entities that have been branded as `` foreign agents '' are subject to restrictions such as providing financial reports on their activities and identifying themselves as such in publications .
Putin signed a separate bill imposing penalties of up to five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign agents '' who do not register as such or fail to report on their activities .
Amnesty International slammed the legislation before it was signed into law , saying it would `` drastically limit and damage the work not only of civil society organizations that receive funds from outside Russia but many other groups as well . ''
Critics say the “ foreign agent ” law , originally passed in 2012 and since expanded through amendments , has been arbitrarily applied to target Russian civil society organizations , human rights defenders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 effectively branded individuals as `` foreign agents '' for the first time , but on a Justice Ministry registry of `` foreign mass media performing the functions of a foreign agent . ''
Three of the five individuals listed contribute to RFE/RL .
The other two are activists who are not members of the media .
On December 30 , Putin also signed a bill allowing media regulator Roskomnadzor to partially or fully restrict or slow access to foreign websites that `` discriminate against Russian media . ''
The legislation is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube , Facebook , and Twitter .
Another signed bill prohibits the disclosure of personal information about certain “ employees [ of law enforcement agencies ] , their families , and assets . ''
The list of those qualifying for the measure is to be drawn up by law enforcement agencies and may include officials including judges , prosecutors , investigators , as well as employees at the Interior Ministry , the Federal Penitentiary Service , and the Federal Security Service .

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a raft of legislation that human rights watchdogs and opposition politicians have said will undermine democratic processes.
The controversial legislation came into force immediately upon being signed into law on December 30 and included an amendment to a law that allows individuals and public entities to be recognized as foreign agents if they are considered to be engaged in political activities "in the interests of a foreign state."
Grounds for being recognized as a "foreign agent" could be the purposeful collection of information about Russia's military or military activities that could harm Russia's security; holding rallies or political debates; providing opinions on state policies; actions promoting a certain outcome in an election or referendum; or participation as an electoral observer or in political parties if they are done in the interest of a foreign entity.
Entities that have been branded as "foreign agents" are subject to restrictions such as providing financial reports on their activities and identifying themselves as such in publications.
Putin signed a separate bill imposing penalties of up to five years in prison to those identified as "foreign agents" who do not register as such or fail to report on their activities.
Amnesty International slammed the legislation before it was signed into law, saying it would "drastically limit and damage the work not only of civil society organizations that receive funds from outside Russia but many other groups as well."
Critics say the “foreign agent” law, originally passed in 2012 and since expanded through amendments, has been arbitrarily applied to target Russian civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and political activists.
Russia on December 28 effectively branded individuals as "foreign agents" for the first time, but on a Justice Ministry registry of "foreign mass media performing the functions of a foreign agent." Three of the five individuals listed contribute to RFE/RL. The other two are activists who are not members of the media.
On December 30, Putin also signed a bill allowing media regulator Roskomnadzor to partially or fully restrict or slow access to foreign websites that "discriminate against Russian media."
The legislation is expected to affect major social-media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Another signed bill prohibits the disclosure of personal information about certain “employees [of law enforcement agencies], their families, and assets."
The list of those qualifying for the measure is to be drawn up by law enforcement agencies and may include officials including judges, prosecutors, investigators, as well as employees at the Interior Ministry, the Federal Penitentiary Service, and the Federal Security Service.


rferl--2020-12-29--Russia Needs 'Popular Equivalent' To YouTube, Regulator Says, As It Struggles To Censor Platform

Russia 's media regulator , Roskomnadzor , says the country needs an alternative to YouTube , the U.S. online video-sharing platform that it struggles to censor .
`` Due to the absence of a direct competitor in Russia , YouTube is still irreplaceable , '' Roskomnadzor said in a statement on December 29 .
The regulator added that there was a need for a `` popular equivalent '' in Russia that would reduce Russians ' dependence on foreign social media .
The Kremlin is losing its grip on information dissemination inside the country as more and more Russians turn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for content .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been able to maintain high ratings during his two decades in power in part thanks to Kremlin control over the country 's main TV stations .
An effective and popular Russian competitor to YouTube would enable the government to impair YouTube 's ability to operate inside the country .
Roskomnadzor 's comments came the same day that Russia 's Investigative Committee launched a criminal case against Aleksei Navalny , the Kremlin critic who has deftly used YouTube to expose corruption at the highest levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day that Gazprom-Media , the media arm of state-controlled natural-gas giant Gazprom , acquired a 100 percent stake in Russian video-streaming service Rutube .
Gazprom-Media is Russia 's largest media company , with holdings including several leading television channels , radio stations , and print media .
Roskomnadzor 's chief , Aleksandr Zharov , said work was under way to make Rutube as `` convenient '' as YouTube .
On December 23 , the State Duma approved in a final reading a bill that would allow Roskomnadzor to block websites that `` discriminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to partially or fully restrict or slow access to websites found in violation of the law .
The bill is seen affecting major social media such as YouTube , Facebook , and Twitter .

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, says the country needs an alternative to YouTube, the U.S. online video-sharing platform that it struggles to censor.
"Due to the absence of a direct competitor in Russia, YouTube is still irreplaceable," Roskomnadzor said in a statement on December 29.
The regulator added that there was a need for a "popular equivalent" in Russia that would reduce Russians' dependence on foreign social media.
The Kremlin is losing its grip on information dissemination inside the country as more and more Russians turn to foreign social-media sites like YouTube and Instagram for content.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been able to maintain high ratings during his two decades in power in part thanks to Kremlin control over the country's main TV stations.
An effective and popular Russian competitor to YouTube would enable the government to impair YouTube's ability to operate inside the country.
Roskomnadzor's comments came the same day that Russia's Investigative Committee launched a criminal case against Aleksei Navalny, the Kremlin critic who has deftly used YouTube to expose corruption at the highest levels of government.
It also comes the same day that Gazprom-Media, the media arm of state-controlled natural-gas giant Gazprom, acquired a 100 percent stake in Russian video-streaming service Rutube.
Gazprom-Media is Russia's largest media company, with holdings including several leading television channels, radio stations, and print media.
Roskomnadzor's chief, Aleksandr Zharov, said work was under way to make Rutube as "convenient" as YouTube.
On December 23, the State Duma approved in a final reading a bill that would allow Roskomnadzor to block websites that "discriminate against Russian media."
Roskomnadzor would be allowed to partially or fully restrict or slow access to websites found in violation of the law.
The bill is seen affecting major social media such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.


rferl--2020-12-31--Migrants In Bosnia Forced Back To Burnt Camp After Locals Protest

Hundreds of asylum-seekers and migrants left in limbo in Bosnia-Herzegovina braved another freezing night without shelter after protests and resistance from local authorities prevented their transfer to another camp .
Around 900 migrants from Asia , Africa , and the Middle East were supposed to be taken from the fire-ravaged Lipa camp near the border with Croatia to a temporary facility near the central town of Konjic .
However , on December 30 they were forced to disembark from buses they had spent the previous night on after local authorities and residents protested their transfer .
Many spent the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp , which was destroyed in a fire on December 23 , the same day it was due to be temporarily closed .
Peter Van der Auweraert , the International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) coordinator for the Western Balkans , tweeted video of the migrants at Lipa camp with “ close to no shelter for the night ” after “ last minute political negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome.
” Even before the fire , the much-criticized tent camp lacked basic facilities such as running water and heating to house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , humanitarian groups called on Bosnian authorities to address the `` dire humanitarian conditions and uncertainty ” of the stranded migrants .
“ Forcing people once again to stay out in the open in these conditions can not be an acceptable solution .
The lack of immediate action by responsible authorities risks grave consequences to human safety and lives , ” the groups including the IOM and UN refugee agency said .
Bosnian Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic told RFE/RL 's Balkan Service that the country ’ s council of ministers would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address the crisis and find suitable accommodation for the migrants .
About 10,000 migrants and asylum-seekers from are stuck in Bosnia , hoping to cross into EU member Croatia in order to reach wealthier countries in the bloc .

Bosnia-Herzegovina's governing executive on December 31 recommended that authorities transfer around 900 migrants from a burned-out refugee camp in northwestern Bosnia to be overwintered in a nearby reception center in Bihac amid local protests over their transfer to another location.
The migrants -- from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East -- have been in limbo without shelter in freezing temperatures as the dispute plays out this week.
Many have been sleeping rough at the site of a camp at Lipa that was destroyed in a fire on December 23, the same day it was due to be temporarily closed.
The decision by Bosnia's Council of Ministers suggests the refugees and migrants will be sent to the Bira facility -- in Bihac, near the border with Croatia -- which had been closed since October.
It came as EU officials appeared to be losing patience with the drawn-out humanitarian crisis in nonmember Bosnia.
The European Commission on December 31 called on Bosnia's national and local authorities to work together to give shelter to the asylum seekers and migrants.
In Brussels, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the quickest and most practical solution was reopening the Bira center.
Many of the migrants had been forced to disembark from buses on December 30 on which they had spent the previous night as residents near a former barracks at Bradina, near Konjic, protested plans for their arrival.
Peter Van der Auweraert, the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) coordinator for the Western Balkans, had tweeted grim video of the migrants at Lipa with “close to no shelter for the night” after “last minute political negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome.”
Even before the fire, the much-criticized tent camp at Lipa lacked basic facilities such as running water and heating to house people in winter.
Bosnian authorities have failed to fulfill pledges to upgrade facilities to brace them for the cold weather, including by providing utilities and road access.
In a joint statement, humanitarian groups on December 30 called on Bosnian authorities to address the "dire humanitarian conditions and uncertainty” of the stranded migrants.
“Forcing people once again to stay out in the open in these conditions cannot be an acceptable solution. The lack of immediate action by responsible authorities risks grave consequences to human safety and lives,” the groups, including the IOM and the UN refugee agency, said.
About 10,000 migrants and asylum seekers are stuck in Bosnia, hoping to cross into EU member Croatia in order to reach wealthier countries in the bloc.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and Balkan Insight


rferl--2020-12-30--U.S. Bombers Overfly Persian Gulf Amid Concerns Over Possible Iranian Attacks

The United States has reportedly flown two B-52 bombers over the Persian Gulf in the third such show of force in recent months , presumably meant to deter Iran from attacking U.S. or allied targets in the region .
The U.S. bombers carried out a round-trip , 30-hour mission from Minot Air Force Base , in North Dakota , to the Middle East that ended on December 30 .
`` The United States continues to deploy combat-ready capabilities into the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to deter any potential adversary , and make clear that we are ready and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Americans or our interests , '' General Kenneth McKenzie , chief of U.S. Central Command , said in a statement on December 30 .
He added : `` We do not seek conflict , but no one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack . ''
The U.S. Air Force has carried out two similar missions in the past 45 days .
The mission reflects increasing concern in Washington that Iran could order further military retaliation for the U.S. killing of top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring Iraq in January .
Days after the air strike that killed Soleimani , Iran launched a ballistic-missile attack on a military base housing international troops in Iraq that caused brain-concussion injuries to some 100 U.S. troops .
Adding to U.S. concerns was a rocket attack last week on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad by Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias .
Nobody was killed in the attack , but U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran was on notice .
`` Some friendly health advice to Iran : If one American is killed , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , Trump tweeted on December 23 .
The United States has reduced the number of staff at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad .
With reporting by AP and The Washington Post

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-12-30--Iran Allocates $150,000 For Families Of Each Victim Of Ukrainian Plane Crash

Iran says it has allocated $ 150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian passenger plane that was downed in Iranian airspace nearly a year ago .
The Iranian government said in statement on December 30 that it had approved the payment of “ $ 150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each of the victims ” of the crash .
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran ’ s main airport on January 8 , killing all on board , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran admitted days later that its forces accidentally shot down the Kyiv-bound plane after firing two missiles amid heightened tensions with the United States .
Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami told reporters on December 30 that Iran 's final report on the crash had been sent to countries involved in investigating it -- Ukraine , the United States , France , Canada , Sweden , Britain , and Germany .
Earlier this month , an independent Canadian report accused Iran of not conducting its investigation properly and said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party responsible for the situation is investigating itself , largely in secret .
That does not inspire confidence or trust , '' said the report , written by the Canadian government 's special counsel on the tragedy .
Iranian officials said the country never sought to hide the details about the air disaster or to violate the rights of the victims ' families .
Flight 752 was downed the same night that Iran launched a ballistic-missile attack that targeted U.S. soldiers in Iraq .
Tehran 's air defenses were on high alert in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack was in response to a U.S. drone strike that killed the powerful commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps , Major General Qasem Soleimani , in Baghdad five days earlier .


rferl--2020-12-31--Migrants In Bosnia Forced Back To Burned-Out Camp After Locals Protest

Hundreds of asylum-seekers and migrants left in limbo in Bosnia-Herzegovina have braved another freezing night without shelter after protests and resistance from local authorities prevented their transfer to another camp .
Around 900 migrants from Asia , Africa , and the Middle East were supposed to be taken from the fire-ravaged Lipa camp near the border with Croatia to a temporary facility near the central town of Konjic .
However , on December 30 they were forced to disembark from buses they had spent the previous night on after local authorities and residents protested their transfer .
Many spent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lipa camp , which was destroyed in a fire on December 23 , the same day it was due to be temporarily closed .
Peter Van der Auweraert , the International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) coordinator for the Western Balkans , tweeted video of the migrants at Lipa camp with `` close to no shelter for the night '' after `` last minute political negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome . ''
Even before the fire , the much-criticized tent camp lacked basic facilities such as running water and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a joint statement , humanitarian groups called on Bosnian authorities to address the `` dire humanitarian conditions and uncertainty '' of the stranded migrants .
`` Forcing people once again to stay out in the open in these conditions can not be an acceptable solution .
The lack of immediate action by responsible authorities risks grave consequences to human safety and lives , '' the groups including the IOM and UN refugee agency said .
Bosnian Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic told RFE/RL 's Balkan Service that the country 's council of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 31 to address the crisis and find suitable accommodation for the migrants .
About 10,000 migrants and asylum seekers are stuck in Bosnia , hoping to cross into EU member Croatia in order to reach wealthier countries in the bloc .


rferl--2020-12-31--Belarus Charges Leaders Of Independent Press Club With Tax Crimes As Crackdown Continues

The founder of an independent Belarusian press group and several associates taken into custody last week have been charged with tax evasion and related crimes in a case that comes against the backdrop of a continuing state crackdown on dissent .
The daughter of Press Club founder Yulia Slutskaya said via Facebook that her mother had been charged with `` large-scale tax evasion . ''
A lawyer for the group confirmed the charges against Slutskaya and said charges alleged that at least four staff members were being charged as co-conspirators .
Slutskaya will remain in pretrial custody until at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hashinski , said .
It was unclear whether the other four -- Syarhey Alsheuski , Pyatro Slutski , Ala Sharko , and Denys Sokolouski -- had their custody similarly extended .
AFP reported that another Press Club employee , Russian national Sergei Yakupov , had been deported on December 31 .
Slutskaya was detained after she arrived in Minsk from abroad on December 22 , while the others were detained hours later after their homes and offices were searched .
Belarus 's Committee for State Control said it had launched preliminary investigations into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws of the Republic of Belarus by the staff members of the Press Club Journalistic Workshop cultural-educational organization linked among other things to financial support from abroad . ''
The detentions came days after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) listed Belarus as a country where authorities have significantly increased their arrests of journalists in recent months .
The European Federation of Journalists ( EFJ ) on December 23 demanded the release of veteran journalist Slutskaya and her colleagues .
`` This repression must end immediately .
We demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues , '' said EFJ President Mogens Blicher Bjerregard .
`` We call on the European Union , the Council of Europe , and the OSCE to respond decisively to this new wave of repression . ''
Founded in 2011 , the Belarusian Press Club calls itself `` a platform for professional development of independent media and journalists . ''
Mass protests continue across the country to demand the exit of longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka after election officials in Minsk said he won a sixth presidential term in a landslide on August 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to the streets for months , declaring that opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner .
Lukashenka has responded with mass arrests of protesters , jailings and expulsions of opposition leaders , and the withdrawal of accreditations and other strictures on local and international journalists .
Since August , at least 373 journalists have been arrested in Belarus .
In October , the Foreign Ministry of Belarus revoked the media accreditations from several foreign media organizations in a move widely criticized as an attempt to stifle reporting about ongoing anti-government demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The founder of an independent Belarusian press group and several associates taken into custody last week have been charged with tax evasion and related crimes in a case that comes against the backdrop of a continuing state crackdown on dissent.
The daughter of Press Club founder Yulia Slutskaya said via Facebook that her mother had been charged with "large-scale tax evasion."
A lawyer for the group confirmed the charges against Slutskaya and said charges alleged that at least four staff members were being charged as co-conspirators.
Slutskaya will remain in pretrial custody until at least February 22, the lawyer, Anton Hashinski, said.
It was unclear whether the other four -- Syarhey Alsheuski, Pyatro Slutski, Ala Sharko, and Denys Sokolouski -- had their custody similarly extended.
AFP reported that another Press Club employee, Russian national Sergei Yakupov, had been deported on December 31.
Slutskaya was detained after she arrived in Minsk from abroad on December 22, while the others were detained hours later after their homes and offices were searched.
Belarus's Committee for State Control said it had launched preliminary investigations into "facts of violation of the taxation laws of the Republic of Belarus by the staff members of the Press Club Journalistic Workshop cultural-educational organization linked among other things to financial support from abroad."
The detentions came days after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) listed Belarus as a country where authorities have significantly increased their arrests of journalists in recent months.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on December 23 demanded the release of veteran journalist Slutskaya and her colleagues.
"This repression must end immediately. We demand the release of Yulia and all her colleagues," said EFJ President Mogens Blicher Bjerregard. "We call on the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE to respond decisively to this new wave of repression."
Founded in 2011, the Belarusian Press Club calls itself "a platform for professional development of independent media and journalists."
Mass protests continue across the country to demand the exit of longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka after election officials in Minsk said he won a sixth presidential term in a landslide on August 9.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets for months, declaring that opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner.
Lukashenka has responded with mass arrests of protesters, jailings and expulsions of opposition leaders, and the withdrawal of accreditations and other strictures on local and international journalists.
Since August, at least 373 journalists have been arrested in Belarus.
In October, the Foreign Ministry of Belarus revoked the media accreditations from several foreign media organizations in a move widely criticized as an attempt to stifle reporting about ongoing anti-government demonstrations.
With reporting by AFP and Tut.by


rferl--2020-12-31--UN Condemns Iran's Execution Of Juvenile Offender, The Fourth This Year

The United Nations has condemned Iran for executing a man convicted of murder when he was 16 years old , saying the punishment violated international law .
The UN human rights office in Geneva said Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee was executed on December 31 .
He was the fourth juvenile offender put to death in Iran this year , the office said .
“ The execution of child offenders is categorically prohibited under international law and Iran is under the obligation to abide by this prohibition , '' UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement .
The UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bachelet , `` strongly condemns the killing , '' she added .
Shamdasani said the office was “ dismayed that the execution had taken place despite ” its efforts to engage with Tehran on the case .
`` There are deeply troubling allegations that forced confessions extracted through torture were used in the conviction of Mr. Rezaiee , '' Shamdasani said , along with `` numerous other serious concerns about violations of his fair-trial rights . ''
Iran regularly forces confessions from prisoners , often under duress or torture , rights groups say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2007 in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in a brawl and had spent more than 12 years on death row .
Iran is among a handful of countries that execute juvenile offenders .
Amnesty International said it is aware of at least 90 cases of people in Iran currently on death row for crimes that took place when they were under 18 .
The rights organization said the real number is likely to be far higher .
Rights groups have called on Iranian authorities to urgently amend Article 91 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolish the death penalty for crimes committed by people under 18 in line with Iran ’ s international obligations .
Iran is one of the world 's leading executioners .
Amnesty International said in April that at least 251 people were executed by Iranian authorities in 2019 .


rferl--2020-12-31--Orban Aide Says Hungary Won't Use Russia's Sputnik-V Vaccine

A senior aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orban says Hungary wo n't use Russia 's Sputnik-V vaccine despite bilateral cooperation on Russian testing of the controversial serum against COVID-19 .
Orban chief of staff Gergely Gulyas blamed the reversal on an `` inadequate manufacturing capacity '' for the vaccine in Russia .
It is the first clear sign that the Russian serum wo n't be broadly used on Hungary 's general population of around 10 million .
Sputnik-V received Russian approval two months ago , despite a lack of large-scale clinical trials and perceived shortcomings in data to support its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being inoculated en masse with it .
Gulyas said mass vaccine purchases by Hungary would have to be `` part of the EU process or from China . ''
Orban has refused to rule out any path to securing supplies of any vaccine .
Orban has come under criticism over perceived democratic backsliding in EU-member Hungary as he has deepened bilateral ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin , who has viewed Sputnik-V as a national prestige project .
Some 50 countries have reportedly placed orders for Sputnik-V , with national testing ongoing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and North American have so far given emergency authorizations to a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and a Moderna vaccine .
Britain this week became the first country to approve an AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine .
China has been slower than some countries to approve COVID-19 vaccines but has been inoculating its citizens for months with three different shots in late-stage trials .
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

A senior aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orban says Hungary won't use Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine despite bilateral cooperation on Russian testing of the controversial serum against COVID-19.
Orban chief of staff Gergely Gulyas blamed the reversal on an "inadequate manufacturing capacity" for the vaccine in Russia.
It is the first clear sign that the Russian serum won't be broadly used on Hungary's general population of around 10 million.
Sputnik-V received Russian approval two months ago, despite a lack of large-scale clinical trials and perceived shortcomings in data to support its safety and efficacy.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Russians are already being inoculated en masse with it.
Gulyas said mass vaccine purchases by Hungary would have to be "part of the EU process or from China."
Orban has refused to rule out any path to securing supplies of any vaccine.
Orban has come under criticism over perceived democratic backsliding in EU-member Hungary as he has deepened bilateral ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has viewed Sputnik-V as a national prestige project.
Some 50 countries have reportedly placed orders for Sputnik-V, with national testing ongoing in some of them.
Regulators in Europe and North American have so far given emergency authorizations to a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and a Moderna vaccine.
Britain this week became the first country to approve an AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine.
China has been slower than some countries to approve COVID-19 vaccines but has been inoculating its citizens for months with three different shots in late-stage trials.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP


rferl--2020-12-31--Zarif Says U.S. Is Aiming To 'Fabricate Pretext For War'

Iran 's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump of seeking to fabricate a `` pretext for war '' between the two countries .
Zarif made the comments on December 31 , days ahead of the first anniversary of the killing of a top Iranian military commander in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq .
For weeks , U.S. officials have suggested Iran or allied Iraqi militia may carry out retaliatory attacks to mark the January 3 anniversary of Qasem Soleimani ’ s assassination .
And U.S. President Donald Trump on December 23 warned Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic personnel in Iraq , days after suspected Iran-backed Iraqi militia launched a barrage of rockets at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad ’ s heavily fortified Green Zone .
No Americans were killed or injured by the rockets .
The developments came as Trump ramped up pressure on Iran ahead of a transition to President-elect Joe Biden , who has said he will try to revive diplomacy with Iran upon his inauguration on January 20 .
In a show of force directed at Iran , the United States flew strategic bombers over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second such flight this month .
In addition , a U.S. nuclear submarine carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles crossed the Strait of Hormuz on December 21 .
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November .
On December 31 , Zarif criticized the United States for sending American B-52 bombers to the region .
`` Instead of fighting [ the coronavirus pandemic ] in US , @ realDonaldTrump & cohorts waste billions to fly B52s & send armadas to OUR region , '' Zarif tweeted .
`` Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for war , '' he wrote , adding : “ Iran does n't seek war but will OPENLY & DIRECTLY defend its people , security & vital interests.
” The killing of Soleimani , the powerful commander of Iran ’ s elite Quds Force , near Baghdad 's international airport considerably raised tensions between the two rivals .
Days later , Iran launched retaliatory ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops .
In May 2018 , Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a so-called “ maximum-pressure ” campaign .
In response , Iran has gradually breached parts of the agreement , which was intended to induce Tehran to curb its controversial nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief , arguing that it was no longer bound by the deal owing to the U.S. withdrawal .


rferl--2020-12-31--Azerbaijan Kicks Off Gas Exports To Russia-Dominated European Market

Azerbaijan has started commercial natural-gas supplies to the European Union via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline ( TAP ) , as the region seeks to diversify energy supplies away from Russia .
Gas pumped from the giant Shah Deniz 2 field in the Caspian Sea began flowing into Italy , Greece , and Bulgaria on December 31 , Azerbaijan ’ s state energy company SOCAR said in a statement .
“ Some were skeptical about this project .
Now the mission is accomplished -- Azerbaijan ’ s natural gas has arrived in Europe , ” he said .
The 878-kilometer TAP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corridor , which took more than $ 30 billion and seven years to build .
The overall project includes Shah Deniz 2 , Azerbaijan ’ s largest gas deposit , and 3,500 kilometers of pipelines connecting the Caspian Sea with Western Europe via Georgia and Turkey .
Azerbaijan already supplies gas to Turkey and aims to supply European gas markets with 10 billion cubic meters ( bcm ) of gas a year .
Analysts say Azerbaijani gas poses some threat to Moscow 's share of the continent 's gas market but is unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a supplier .
Russia , which already accounts for about one-third of the region ’ s gas supplies , plans to raise gas exports to Europe , including Turkey , to 183 bcm in 2021 from more than 170 bcm this year .
Moscow has recently accelerated efforts to complete its undersea Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany , a project that stalled a year ago due to U.S. sanctions .
Washington has strongly opposed the project as threatening the security of NATO allies in Europe by increasing dependence on Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's SOCAR announced that it had signed a long-term contract with the Belarus Oil Company to supply oil to that country .
Belarus has intermittently been at loggerheads with Russian officials in recent years over oil supplies that for decades have been supplied at a heavy discount .
With reporting by Reuters , RIA Novosti , and Bloomberg

Azerbaijan has started commercial natural-gas supplies to the European Union via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), as the region seeks to diversify energy supplies away from Russia.
Gas pumped from the giant Shah Deniz 2 field in the Caspian Sea began flowing into Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria on December 31, Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR said in a statement.
SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev hailed the development as a "historic day."
“Some were skeptical about this project. Now the mission is accomplished -- Azerbaijan’s natural gas has arrived in Europe,” he said.
The 878-kilometer TAP is a segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, which took more than $30 billion and seven years to build.
The overall project includes Shah Deniz 2, Azerbaijan’s largest gas deposit, and 3,500 kilometers of pipelines connecting the Caspian Sea with Western Europe via Georgia and Turkey.
Azerbaijan already supplies gas to Turkey and aims to supply European gas markets with 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year.
Analysts say Azerbaijani gas poses some threat to Moscow's share of the continent's gas market but is unlikely to change Russia's dominant position as a supplier.
Russia, which already accounts for about one-third of the region’s gas supplies, plans to raise gas exports to Europe, including Turkey, to 183 bcm in 2021 from more than 170 bcm this year.
Moscow has recently accelerated efforts to complete its undersea Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany, a project that stalled a year ago due to U.S. sanctions.
Washington has strongly opposed the project as threatening the security of NATO allies in Europe by increasing dependence on Russia.
Later on December 31, Azerbaijan's SOCAR announced that it had signed a long-term contract with the Belarus Oil Company to supply oil to that country.
Belarus has intermittently been at loggerheads with Russian officials in recent years over oil supplies that for decades have been supplied at a heavy discount.
With reporting by Reuters, RIA Novosti, and Bloomberg


rferl--2020-12-31--Putin Says Goodbye To 2020, Which 'Carried The Burden Of Several Years'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said goodbye to 2020 , which he said `` carried the burden of several years . ''
Speaking in his annual New Year 's address just minutes before 2021 began in Russia 's Far East , Putin recalled that people around the world looked forward to changes for the better this time last year , but that `` nobody could have imagined then what trials were in store for us . ''
However , he said , despite the coronavirus pandemic it was also a year `` of hope for overcoming hardships and pride for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional qualities . ''
Looking ahead , Putin wished for all the `` hardships of the outgoing year to become a thing of the past as soon as possible and everything we have gained , the very best unlocked in every person , to stay with us forever . ''
`` I sincerely wish all of you , as close and dear people , robust health , faith , hope and love , '' he concluded .
`` Be happy in the new , approaching year 2021 !
Russia reported more than 27,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking the national tally to nearly 3,160,000 since the pandemic began .
A total of 593 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours , taking the official death toll to 57,019 .
However , Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova earlier this week revealed that more than 80 percent of excess deaths this year are linked to COVID-19 , which would mean its death toll is three times higher than officially reported .
Excess deaths are the difference between the total number of deaths registered and the average over the previous years for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by TASS and Interfax

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said goodbye to 2020, which he said "carried the burden of several years."
Speaking in his annual New Year's address just minutes before 2021 began in Russia's Far East, Putin recalled that people around the world looked forward to changes for the better this time last year, but that "nobody could have imagined then what trials were in store for us."
However, he said, despite the coronavirus pandemic it was also a year "of hope for overcoming hardships and pride for those who displayed the best human and professional qualities."
Looking ahead, Putin wished for all the "hardships of the outgoing year to become a thing of the past as soon as possible and everything we have gained, the very best unlocked in every person, to stay with us forever."
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
"I sincerely wish all of you, as close and dear people, robust health, faith, hope and love," he concluded. "Be happy in the new, approaching year 2021!
Russia reported more than 27,000 new COVID-19 cases on December 31, taking the national tally to nearly 3,160,000 since the pandemic began.
A total of 593 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the official death toll to 57,019.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova earlier this week revealed that more than 80 percent of excess deaths this year are linked to COVID-19, which would mean its death toll is three times higher than officially reported.
Excess deaths are the difference between the total number of deaths registered and the average over the previous years for the same period.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-12-31--Bosnian Council Recommends Migrant Relocations Over Local Protests

Bosnia-Herzegovina 's governing executive on December 31 recommended that authorities transfer around 900 migrants from a burned-out refugee camp in northwestern Bosnia to be overwintered in a nearby reception center in Bihac amid local protests over their transfer to another location .
The migrants -- from Asia , Africa , and the Middle East -- have been in limbo without shelter in freezing temperatures as the dispute plays out this week .
Many have been sleeping rough at the site of a camp at Lipa that was destroyed in a fire on December 23 , the same day it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision by Bosnia 's Council of Ministers suggests the refugees and migrants will be sent to the Bira facility -- in Bihac , near the border with Croatia -- which had been closed since October .
It came as EU officials appeared to be losing patience with the drawn-out humanitarian crisis in non-member Bosnia .
The European Commission on December 31 called on Bosnia 's national and local authorities to work together to give shelter to the asylum-seekers and migrants .
In Brussels , European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bira center .
Many of the migrants had been forced disembark from buses on December 30 where they had spent the previous night as residents near a former barracks at Bradina , near Konjic , protested plans for their arrival .
Peter Van der Auweraert , the International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) coordinator for the Western Balkans , had tweeted grim video of the migrants at Lipa with “ close to no shelter for the night ” after “ last minute political negotiations failed to produce a viable outcome.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tent camp at Lipa lacked basic facilities such as running water and heating to house people in winter .
Bosnian authorities have failed to fulfill pledges to upgrade facilities to brace them for the cold weather , including by providing utilities and road access .
In a joint statement , humanitarian groups on December 30 called on Bosnian authorities to address the `` dire humanitarian conditions and uncertainty ” of the stranded migrants .
“ Forcing people once again to stay out in the open in these conditions can not be an acceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by responsible authorities risks grave consequences to human safety and lives , ” the groups , including the IOM and the UN refugee agency , said .
About 10,000 migrants and asylum seekers are stuck in Bosnia , hoping to cross into EU member Croatia in order to reach wealthier countries in the bloc .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Balkan Service and Balkan Insight


rferl--2020-01-01--Cost Of Vodka, Cigarettes Climb As Russia Rings In 2020

In addition to raising the monthly minimum wage this year by 7.5 percent to $ 195 , Russian President Vladimir @ @ @ @ @ that hiked child allowances for families and on so-called sin taxes .
Families can access @ @ @ @ @ ” upon the birth of their second child and be able to use the equivalent @ @ @ @ @ their living conditions , boost a mother ’ s pension , pay for schooling , @ @ @ @ @ services that help children living with disabilities adapt in society .
The maternity fund , @ @ @ @ @ of 3.8 percent in comparison to 2017 .
As for sin taxes such as , @ @ @ @ @ the minimum retail price for a half-liter bottle of vodka rose by $ 0.20 to @ @ @ @ @ sized bottle of cognac now will cost at least $ 7 , representing a $ @ @ @ @ @ for cigarettes climbed by 14.5 percent to $ 32 per 1,000 cigarettes .
Broken down @ @ @ @ @ added to the price of each pack containing 20 cigarettes .

President Vladimir Putin has ordered an increase in payments aimed at encouraging Russians to have more children, the second welfare initiative he has signed into law to usher in 2020.
The increase in the so-called "maternity fund" was announced just days after government demographers released projections saying that Russia's population could drop by more than 12 million over the next two decades.
The increase in family support payments also follows the announcement that the national minimum wage will be increased, a decision that comes amid growing unhappiness among Russians about stagnating wages and creeping inflation.
Russians have also been unhappy about the government's decision to raise the age when people can receive state pensions -- a move that prompted weeks of protests. As well, the national value-added tax was raised by two percentage points last year, a move that hit middle-class Russians hard.
In a statement on its website on January 1, the Kremlin said the measure signed by Putin would increase monthly payments to families who have a second child by 3.8 percent compared with 2017: to 466,000 rubles ($7,510).
The so-called "maternal capital" payments system was initiated in 2007, during Putin's second term in office, as a way of bolstering Russia's sagging birthrate.
But it's unclear whether the payments have done enough to help reverse the population drop that the country recorded in the years leading up to the Soviet collapse and, more dramatically, after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
In a report released on December 27, the State Statistics Service lowered its projections for the next 16 years, with its worst-case scenario showing that the country's population could drop by more than 12 million by 2036.
Putin on December 30 also signed an order raising the minimum wage by 7.5 percent, to 12,130 rubles ($196).
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry announced an increase in taxes on alcohol and cigarettes beginning on January 1-- an increase that is likely to be met with unhappiness among many Russians.
Still, alcohol consumption, particularly for hard liquor like vodka, has dropped noticeably in recent years, which has helped bolster life expectancy, according to the World Health Organization .
Nonetheless, Russia's average life expectancy is still several years lower than the European Union average, according to statistics released in 2019.
With reporting by TASS


rferl--2020-01-30--Top EU Diplomat Borrell Renews Effort For Direct Kosovo-Serbia Talks

PRISTINA -- The European Union 's chief diplomat , Josep Borrell , has emphasized the need for bilateral dialogue to resume between Serbia and Kosovo , saying it was the most effective way for them to mend ties .
During his first visit to Kosovo on January 30 , Borrell continued the EU 's policy of mediation , which has sought to bring the two countries back to the negotiation table after talks broke down in November 2018 when Pristina imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian goods over Belgrade ’ s refusal to recognize Kosovo ’ s independence .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endeavor , my objective , is to accompany , facilitate the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo , '' Borrell said after meeting with Kosovar President Hashim Thaci .
`` Because the problem can only be solved by Serbia and Kosovo…and the result can only come from an agreement between the two of them , '' Borrell said .
`` There is no other solution . ''
The EU 's top diplomat also stressed that the bloc was not competing with the United States in facilitating dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington are `` working together to achieve a result . ''
Last week , a team of U.S. diplomats led by Richard Grenell , the special U.S. envoy to the Balkan nations , brokered two deals for Kosovo and Serbia to resume air and railway links , which have been suspended for 21 years .
Brussels started mediation in 2011 amid strained relations between Pristina and Belgrade that have lingered since the Kosovo war that ended in 1999 after claiming more than 10,000 lives and leaving more than 1 million people homeless .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kosovo 's independence , declared in 2008 , has not been recognized by Belgrade , Russia , and five EU nations .
The United States and more than 110 other countries have recognized Kosovo ’ s independence .
Borell added that the EU would not be complete until Western Balkan countries joined the bloc but said a decision to grant visa-free travel to the European Union to Kosovo citizens was up to EU member states .
Kosovo is the only Western Balkan nation not to have been granted visa-free EU travel .
Later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties and civil society .
However , the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo , Kadri Veseli , told journalists he would not be meeting with Borrell in protest at the EU 's decision not to grant Kosovars visa-free travel .
After his visit in Kosovo , Borrell will travel to Serbia on January 31 .

PRISTINA -- The European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has emphasized the need for bilateral dialogue to resume between Serbia and Kosovo, saying it was the most effective way for them to mend ties.
During his first visit to Kosovo on January 30, Borrell continued the EU's policy of mediation, which has sought to bring the two countries back to the negotiation table after talks broke down in November 2018 when Pristina imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian goods over Belgrade’s refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence.
"My duty, my task, my endeavor, my objective, is to accompany, facilitate the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo," Borrell said after meeting with Kosovar President Hashim Thaci.
"Because the problem can only be solved by Serbia and Kosovo…and the result can only come from an agreement between the two of them," Borrell said. "There is no other solution."
The EU's top diplomat also stressed that the bloc was not competing with the United States in facilitating dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. On the contrary, Borrell said that Brussels and Washington are "working together to achieve a result."
Last week, a team of U.S. diplomats led by Richard Grenell, the special U.S. envoy to the Balkan nations, brokered two deals for Kosovo and Serbia to resume air and railway links, which have been suspended for 21 years.
Brussels started mediation in 2011 amid strained relations between Pristina and Belgrade that have lingered since the Kosovo war that ended in 1999 after claiming more than 10,000 lives and leaving more than 1 million people homeless.
NATO intervened to stop the conflict.
Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008, has not been recognized by Belgrade, Russia, and five EU nations. The United States and more than 110 other countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence.
Borell added that the EU would not be complete until Western Balkan countries joined the bloc but said a decision to grant visa-free travel to the European Union to Kosovo citizens was up to EU member states.
Kosovo is the only Western Balkan nation not to have been granted visa-free EU travel.
Later, Borrell met with representatives of political parties and civil society.
However, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, told journalists he would not be meeting with Borrell in protest at the EU's decision not to grant Kosovars visa-free travel.
After his visit in Kosovo, Borrell will travel to Serbia on January 31.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-01-30--U.S. Announces New Swiss Humanitarian Channel To Iran

The U.S. government announced on January 30 that it had successfully completed transactions for the benefit of Iranian medical patients using a payment mechanism through Switzerland that bypasses the Iranian government .
Designed to get humanitarian exports to the Iranian people , the system ensures no revenue or payment is transferred to Iran , whom Washington accuses of misusing such channels for corruption and the promotion of terrorism , the Treasury Department said in a news release on January 30 .
Specifically , the sale and delivery of cancer and transplant drugs to Iran was completed , U.S. Special Representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing in Washington on January 30 .
`` The United States is determined to ensure the Iranian people have access to food , life-saving medicines , and other humanitarian goods , despite the regime ’ s economic mismanagement and wasteful funding of malign activities across the region , '' said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
The specially designed humanitarian channel was announced on October 25 and it restricts the Central Bank of Iran 's ( CBI ) role in facilitating humanitarian trade because the `` CBI and its senior officials have facilitated significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Treasury Department .
Hook alleged that last year 1 billion euros ( $ 1.1 billion ) intended for medical supplies disappeared in Iran , apparently being used to fund what the Treasury called `` nefarious purposes . ''
The mechanism allows items that are exempt from existing Iranian sanctions to be exported , including agricultural commodities , food , medicine , and medical devices .
It ensures that these items `` are not diverted by the Iranian regime to fund its nefarious purposes , '' the Treasury Department said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in May 2018 unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 international deal over Iran 's nuclear program .
Alireza Miryousefi , a spokesman for Iran 's UN mission , said the opening of the channel was evidence of `` false claims '' that medicine and food were exempt from the sanctions .
`` If they were ... then why require this special channel ? ''
he wrote in a tweet .
Meanwhile , Hook also announced additional sanctions on Iran and , in particular , on the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran ( AEOI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akhbar Salehi , for the alleged proliferation of weapons of mass destruction .
`` The AEOI has played a big role in breaching its key nuclear commitments .
It has exceeded its limits of uranium stockpiles and enrichment levels .
The head of AEOI personally inaugurated the installation of new advanced centrifuges to expand its uranium enrichment capacity , '' Hook said .
Additionally , the United States is renewing for 60 days four nuclear restrictions on Iran that permit the continuation of nonproliferation projects that constrain Iran 's nuclear activities .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and European companies to continue work at Iranian nuclear sites to make it harder for that country to develop a nuclear weapon .
`` We will closely monitor all developments in Iran 's nuclear program and [ U.S ] Secretary [ of State Mike ] Pompeo can end these projects as developments warrant , '' Hook told the news briefing .
Initially , the 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers -- Britain , China , France , Germany , Russia and the United States -- saw Tehran agree to limit its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of economic sanctions that had adversely affected its economy .


rferl--2020-01-30--RFE/RL Correspondent's Car Set On Fire In Lviv

KYIV -- The car of an RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was set on fire overnight on January 29-30 -- an arson attack which Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko said could have been ordered by someone .
Halyna Tereshchuk , who has been working for RFE/RL since 2000 , said she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities.. `` We think the crime was ordered , that somebody hired someone to conduct it , '' Herashchenko said to RFE/RL , adding that the police were doing `` everything to find both the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The National Police department in Lviv said earlier in the day that a probe had been launched into the `` deliberate destruction of the journalist 's property . ''
The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House condemned the torching of not only Tereschchuk ’ s vehicle , but on the same day , the car of Andriy Lukin -- an activist in Zaporizhzhya .
`` We are outraged by the fires…and call on law enforcement agencies to investigate these incidents effectively , '' Freedom House Ukraine said on Facebook .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other methods of destruction of vehicles and property are becoming increasingly used as a means to pressure active people in Ukraine . ''
It noted that there were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed and `` in almost all cases , the perpetrators were not found and punished . ''

KYIV -- The car of an RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was set on fire overnight on January 29-30 -- an arson attack which Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko said could have been ordered by someone.
Halyna Tereshchuk, who has been working for RFE/RL since 2000, said she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities.
"We think the crime was ordered, that somebody hired someone to conduct it," Herashchenko said to RFE/RL, adding that the police were doing "everything to find both the perpetrators and those who ordered the attack."
The National Police department in Lviv said earlier in the day that a probe had been launched into the "deliberate destruction of the journalist's property."
The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House condemned the torching of not only Tereschchuk’s vehicle, but on the same day, the car of Andriy Lukin -- an activist in Zaporizhzhya.
"We are outraged by the fires…and call on law enforcement agencies to investigate these incidents effectively," Freedom House Ukraine said on Facebook.
The group stated that "arson or other methods of destruction of vehicles and property are becoming increasingly used as a means to pressure active people in Ukraine."
It noted that there were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed and "in almost all cases, the perpetrators were not found and punished."


rferl--2020-01-30--McDonald's Cancels Big Mac's 30th Birthday In Russia Over Virus Fears

McDonald ’ s in Russia is canceling its 30th anniversary promotional plan to offer its iconic Big Mac sandwiches at the Soviet-era price of 3 rubles ( $ 0.05 ) on January 31 over public health concerns .
It said it would put the health of diners above other interests due to fears of a new respiratory virus from China spreading , the fast-food chain said on January 30 .
`` There ’ s nothing more important for us than the health of our guests and employees , '' Marc Carena , general director of McDonald ’ s in Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus but on January 30 it closed its eastern land border with China and it has formed a task force to guard against infections .
Carena noted measures taken by local officials to avoid mass gatherings that could trigger the spread of the virus .
More than 7,900 people have been infected with the dangerous new illness and at least 170 have died .
Also on January 30 , Russia said it would stop issuing electronic visas to nationals of China , where the virus originated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia on January 31 , 1990 , it was hailed as a sign of thawing Cold War relations and crowds in Moscow flocked to taste their first Big Mac at the centrally-located eatery on Pushkin Square .
The two all-beef patties sandwich with special sauce was pricey by Soviet standards costing 3.50 rubles , the equivalent of a monthly bus pass at the time .
Lately , the Chicago-based company has come under repeated pressure in Russia and had to temporarily close its flagship store -- one of the busiest in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions over aggression toward Ukraine .
McDonald 's employs more than 50,000 people in Russia .
Based on reporting by Daily Mail and AFP

MOSCOW -- McDonald’s in Russia is canceling its 30th anniversary promotional plan to offer its iconic Big Mac sandwiches at the Soviet-era price of 3 rubles ($0.05) on January 31 over public health concerns.
It said it would put the health of diners above other interests due to fears of a new respiratory virus from China spreading, the fast-food chain said on January 30.
"There’s nothing more important for us than the health of our guests and employees," Marc Carena, general director of McDonald’s in Russia, said in a statement.
Russia has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus but on January 30 it closed its eastern land border with China and it has formed a task force to guard against infections.
Carena noted measures taken by local officials to avoid mass gatherings that could trigger the spread of the virus.
More than 7,900 people have been infected with the dangerous new illness and at least 170 have died. Also on January 30, Russia said it would stop issuing electronic visas to nationals of China, where the virus originated.
When the fast-food chain first opened in Russia on January 31, 1990, it was hailed as a sign of thawing Cold War relations and crowds in Moscow flocked to taste their first Big Mac at the centrally-located eatery on Pushkin Square.
The two all-beef patties sandwich with special sauce was pricey by Soviet standards costing 3.50 rubles, the equivalent of a monthly bus pass at the time.
Lately, the Chicago-based company has come under repeated pressure in Russia and had to temporarily close its flagship store -- one of the busiest in the world -- over alleged hygiene violations following Western sanctions over aggression toward Ukraine.
McDonald's employs more than 50,000 people in Russia.
Based on reporting by Daily Mail and AFP


rferl--2020-01-30--Ukraine's Chief Prosecutor Says More Evidence Needed In Sheremet Murder Case

Additional evidence is needed for the murder case of journalist Pavel Sheremet to go to trial , Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said on January 30 .
`` The volume of compiled evidence is n't enough , '' he told the Interfax news agency in an interview .
Ryaboshapka said that , in order to determine whether the suspects were guilty or innocent , `` written instructions were prepared for the investigating prosecutors and the terms of the investigation were accordingly set . ''
Sheremet , a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home , was leaving his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under the vehicle he was driving exploded on July 20 , 2016 , killing him instantly .
Sheremet 's killing underscored concerns of a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities , while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case .
Investigators suspect three people of involvement in the murder , all of them with ties to the war taking place in two eastern regions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations Sergeant Andriy Antonenko , army medic Yana Duhar , and pediatric surgeon and volunteer Yuliya Kuzmenko .
Police have also named two persons of interest in the investigation -- married couple Inna and Vladyslav Hryshchenko .
William Taylor , the former U.S. charge d'affaires in Ukraine , has suggested Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is n't certain that the people who were charged with the murder are guilty .
Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) , a France-based media watchdog , has called the probe a `` flawed three-and-a-half-year investigation . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raised concern about `` inconsistencies in the evidence for the Ukrainian authorities ' claim to have solved [ Sheremet ’ s ] murder , ” and urged them to “ continue the investigation and to be more transparent as they do so . ''
This investigation `` offers the opportunity to really begin combating impunity , '' said Jeanne Cavelier , the head of the Paris-based media freedom watchdog 's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk .
`` Not just the perpetrators but also the instigators should be identified and brought to trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , Lyudmila Sheremet , told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not , but that she is afraid `` that innocent people may be hurt '' as officials try to show they 're making headway in the case .

Additional evidence is needed for the murder case of journalist Pavel Sheremet to go to trial, Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said on January 30.
"The volume of compiled evidence isn't enough," he told the Interfax news agency in an interview.
Ryaboshapka said that, in order to determine whether the suspects were guilty or innocent, "written instructions were prepared for the investigating prosecutors and the terms of the investigation were accordingly set."
Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home, was leaving his apartment to head to a broadcast studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under the vehicle he was driving exploded on July 20, 2016, killing him instantly.
Sheremet's killing underscored concerns of a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities, while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case.
Investigators suspect three people of involvement in the murder, all of them with ties to the war taking place in two eastern regions of Ukraine.
They are former special operations Sergeant Andriy Antonenko, army medic Yana Duhar, and pediatric surgeon and volunteer Yuliya Kuzmenko.
Police have also named two persons of interest in the investigation -- married couple Inna and Vladyslav Hryshchenko.
William Taylor, the former U.S. charge d'affaires in Ukraine, has suggested Interior Minister Arsen Avakov isn't certain that the people who were charged with the murder are guilty.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a France-based media watchdog, has called the probe a "flawed three-and-a-half-year investigation."
In a statement on January 10, RSF raised concern about "inconsistencies in the evidence for the Ukrainian authorities' claim to have solved [Sheremet’s] murder,” and urged them to “continue the investigation and to be more transparent as they do so."
This investigation "offers the opportunity to really begin combating impunity," said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of the Paris-based media freedom watchdog's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
"Not just the perpetrators but also the instigators should be identified and brought to trial," Cavelier insisted.
Sheremet's mother, Lyudmila Sheremet, told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not, but that she is afraid "that innocent people may be hurt" as officials try to show they're making headway in the case.


rferl--2020-01-30--Independent Tajik Journalist Arrested For Allegedly Inciting Discord

DUSHANBE -- Independent Tajik journalist Daler Sharifov , who has been held by police for more than two days , @ @ @ @ @ charge of inciting public discord .
Sharifov 's lawyer , Abdurahmon Sharifov , who is @ @ @ @ @ that a court in Dushanbe ruled on January 30 to place the journalist in pretrial @ @ @ @ @ According to the lawyer , Sharifov is suspected of `` inciting ethnic , racial , @ @ @ @ @ If found guilty , Sharifov may face up to five years in prison .
Sharifov @ @ @ @ @ any other details , saying that he signed papers obliging him not to reveal information @ @ @ @ @ Daler Sharifov 's relatives told RFE/RL earlier that he had been held at a police @ @ @ @ @ January 28 .
On January 27 , police searched his apartment in Dushanbe and confiscated @ @ @ @ @ .
Sharifov , 31 , is an independent journalist known for reports in which he @ @ @ @ @

DUSHANBE -- Independent Tajik journalist Daler Sharifov, who has been held by police for more than two days, has been arrested on a charge of inciting public discord.
Sharifov's lawyer, Abdurahmon Sharifov, who is no relation, told RFE/RL that a court in Dushanbe ruled on January 30 to place the journalist in pretrial detention for two months.
According to the lawyer, Sharifov is suspected of "inciting ethnic, racial, and religious discord."
If found guilty, Sharifov may face up to five years in prison.
Sharifov's lawyer did not give any other details, saying that he signed papers obliging him not to reveal information related to the case.
Daler Sharifov's relatives told RFE/RL earlier that he had been held at a police department for questioning case since January 28.
On January 27, police searched his apartment in Dushanbe and confiscated a computer and several books.
Sharifov, 31, is an independent journalist known for reports in which he often criticizes Tajik authorities.


rferl--2020-01-30--Massive Fire Hits Thermal Power Station In Uzbekistan

NUROBOD , Uzbekistan -- A massive fire has hit the Yangi Angren Thermal Power Station in the Uzbek town of @ @ @ @ @ .
An official of the power station told RFE/RL that the fire started at the @ @ @ @ @ .
4 at around 10.00 am local time on January 30 and later spread to @ @ @ @ @ According to the official , the remaining five blocks at the power station continue to @ @ @ @ @ been reported so far .
Local residents told RFE/RL that they saw plumes of smoke @ @ @ @ @ plant before emergency crews arrived at the site .
They added that electricity supplies in @ @ @ @ @ disrupted .
The 2,100-megawatt Yangi Angren station was built in Uzbekistan in 1979-1985 and is @ @ @ @ @ largest thermal power stations .

NUROBOD, Uzbekistan -- A massive fire has hit the Yangi Angren Thermal Power Station in the Uzbek town of Nurobod in the Tashkent region.
An official of the power station told RFE/RL that the fire started at the facility’s block No. 4 at around 10.00 am local time on January 30 and later spread to block No. 3.
According to the official, the remaining five blocks at the power station continue to function. No casualties have been reported so far.
Local residents told RFE/RL that they saw plumes of smoke coming out of the power plant before emergency crews arrived at the site.
They added that electricity supplies in the area have not been disrupted.
The 2,100-megawatt Yangi Angren station was built in Uzbekistan in 1979-1985 and is one of Central Asia's largest thermal power stations.


rferl--2020-01-30--Romanian Government Faces No-Confidence Vote Over New Electoral Law

BUCHAREST -- Romania ’ s main opposition Social Democratic Party ( PSD ) has filed a motion of no-confidence against @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Ludovic Orban .
The move was initiated on January 30 in part to @ @ @ @ @ new electoral system months before local elections .
The change is expected to give an @ @ @ @ @ to the ruling National Liberal Party ( PNL ) at the expense of the PSD @ @ @ @ @ Hungarians in Romania ( UDMR ) .
The new law would result in mayors being @ @ @ @ @ of under the current simple majority system .
Local elections are scheduled to be held @ @ @ @ @ this year .
The bill will become law if the PSD fails to unseat Orban @ @ @ @ @ So far , the motion of no-confidence is being supported only by the UDMR .
@ @ @ @ @ hold 228 seats in parliament , five short of the 233 votes needed to topple @ @ @ @ @ power in November following a successful no-confidence vote against the former PSD cabinet .

BUCHAREST -- Romania’s main opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) has filed a motion of no-confidence against the minority center-right government of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban.
The move was initiated on January 30 in part to stop the introduction of a new electoral system months before local elections.
The change is expected to give an advantage at the local level to the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) at the expense of the PSD and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).
The new law would result in mayors being elected in two rounds instead of under the current simple majority system. Local elections are scheduled to be held no later than June of this year.
The bill will become law if the PSD fails to unseat Orban’s center-right government.
So far, the motion of no-confidence is being supported only by the UDMR.
The PSD and the UDMR hold 228 seats in parliament, five short of the 233 votes needed to topple the government, which took power in November following a successful no-confidence vote against the former PSD cabinet.
With reporting by Balkan Insight


rferl--2020-01-30--Russia Denies Involvement In Deadly Syria Air Strikes

Russian air strikes have killed at least 10 civilians in Syria 's Idlib Province , the opposition 's last stronghold , activists say , an allegation quickly rejected by Moscow .
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Civil Defense said on January 30 that a hospital and a bakery were struck in the overnight attack in the town of Ariha , amid Syrian government advances on the enclave that had been controlled by rebel forces for nearly eight years .
They said women and children were among those killed and wounded .
Russia 's Defense Ministry denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not carry out any combat tasks in the area .
Russia-backed Syrian government forces have pressed ahead with its offensive in Idlib in recent weeks .
The U.S. special envoy for Syria , James Jeffrey , said 200 air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes had hit the region in the last three days alone .
UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said on January 29 that at least 20,000 people were displaced in the previous two days and 115,000 left their homes in the past week , bringing total of those uprooted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier , President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was losing patience with the military assault in Idlib and accuse of Russia of `` not honoring '' agreements aimed at stemming the violence there .
Turkey and Russia , which support opposing sides in Syria 's conflict , have agreed to work toward de-escalating the fighting in Idlib and creating a demilitarized zone .
Based on reporting by AP and AFP

Russian air strikes have killed at least 10 civilians in Syria's Idlib Province, the opposition's last stronghold, activists say, an allegation quickly rejected by Moscow.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Civil Defense said on January 30 that a hospital and a bakery were struck in the overnight attack in the town of Ariha, amid Syrian government advances on the enclave that had been controlled by rebel forces for nearly eight years.
They said women and children were among those killed and wounded.
Russia's Defense Ministry denied the reports, saying Russian aircraft did not carry out any combat tasks in the area.
Russia-backed Syrian government forces have pressed ahead with its offensive in Idlib in recent weeks.
The U.S. special envoy for Syria, James Jeffrey, said 200 air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes had hit the region in the last three days alone.
UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said on January 29 that at least 20,000 people were displaced in the previous two days and 115,000 left their homes in the past week, bringing total of those uprooted by the violence since December to 390,000.
Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was losing patience with the military assault in Idlib and accuse of Russia of "not honoring" agreements aimed at stemming the violence there.
Turkey and Russia, which support opposing sides in Syria's conflict, have agreed to work toward de-escalating the fighting in Idlib and creating a demilitarized zone.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-01-30--WHO Declares Global Coronavirus Health Alert But No Travel Ban

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus from China a global emergency after cases spiked more than tenfold in a week , but said there was no reason to restrict international travel over the situation .
The UN health agency 's decision on January 30 came after China reported its biggest single-day jump in deaths , bringing the total to at least 170 , with more than 7,700 confirmed cases in the country , where a confirmed case reported in Tibet meant the virus has now spread to all mainland regions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ move after a meeting of its Emergency Committee , an independent panel of experts , amid mounting evidence of the virus spreading to some 18 countries .
However , Tedros told a news conference in Geneva that he saw no reason to restrict travel and trade .
`` WHO does not recommend and actually opposes any restrictions '' on travel and trade , Tedros said , adding that he was confident China was taking adequate measures .
`` Let me be clear , this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems . ''
Earlier , Russia , where there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus , kept its 4,300 kilometer-long land border -- the fifth-longest land border in the world -- with China partially closed and suspended the issuance of electronic visas to Chinese nationals .
Rail freight is continuing to circulate between the two countries , direct daily flights are continuing , and a passenger train that operates between Moscow and Beijing remains in service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in an effort to stop the spread of the viral outbreak .
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced his country 's measures to tackle the virus at a cabinet meeting on January 30 .
`` The corresponding order was signed today , and it started being implemented .
We will properly inform everyone of the measures linked to the closure of the border in the Far East region , as well as other measures by the government [ to prevent the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The virus is thought to have emerged last month from a live wild-animal market in Wuhan , the capital of the central province of Hubei where almost all the deaths so far have been reported .
Hubei , home to 60 million people , is now under virtual lockdown .
Italy 's health ministry said two Chinese passengers on a cruise ship had tested negative for the coronavirus , meaning thousands of stranded passengers could disembark .
The owner , Costa Cruises , was offering to pay for food and hotels for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disembark at the Civitavecchia port near Rome , and the Costa Smeralda , carrying some 7,000 passengers , was to set sail again on January 31 in the morning , Italian media said .
Australia , South Korea , Singapore , and New Zealand have said they will quarantine all of their evacuated citizens for at least two weeks , while the United States and Japan planned voluntary isolation for shorter periods .
Meanwhile , the Pakistani government said it will not evacuate its nationals stranded in China .
Addressing a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Special Assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan , said the decision was in accordance with recommendations from the WHO .
`` It is in the interest of the region , world , and country that we do n't evacuate them now , '' Mirza said , adding that four Pakistani students in China were diagnosed with the coronavirus .
Some 500 Pakistani students are based in Wuhan .
U.S. health officials said that , for the first time in the United States , the virus has spread from one person to another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country -- is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from Hubei .
There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace .

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus from China a global emergency after cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, but said there was no reason to restrict international travel over the situation.
The UN health agency's decision on January 30 came after China reported its biggest single-day jump in deaths, bringing the total to at least 170, with more than 7,700 confirmed cases in the country, where a confirmed case reported in Tibet meant the virus has now spread to all mainland regions.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the move after a meeting of its Emergency Committee, an independent panel of experts, amid mounting evidence of the virus spreading to some 18 countries.
However, Tedros told a news conference in Geneva that he saw no reason to restrict travel and trade.
"WHO does not recommend and actually opposes any restrictions" on travel and trade, Tedros said, adding that he was confident China was taking adequate measures.
"Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China," he said.
"Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems."
Earlier, Russia, where there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus, kept its 4,300 kilometer-long land border -- the fifth-longest land border in the world -- with China partially closed and suspended the issuance of electronic visas to Chinese nationals.
Rail freight is continuing to circulate between the two countries, direct daily flights are continuing, and a passenger train that operates between Moscow and Beijing remains in service.
Countries across the globe have begun isolating hundreds of citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in an effort to stop the spread of the viral outbreak.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced his country's measures to tackle the virus at a cabinet meeting on January 30.
"The corresponding order was signed today, and it started being implemented. We will properly inform everyone of the measures linked to the closure of the border in the Far East region, as well as other measures by the government [to prevent the spread of the coronavirus]," he said.
The virus is thought to have emerged last month from a live wild-animal market in Wuhan, the capital of the central province of Hubei where almost all the deaths so far have been reported. Hubei, home to 60 million people, is now under virtual lockdown.
Italy's health ministry said two Chinese passengers on a cruise ship had tested negative for the coronavirus, meaning thousands of stranded passengers could disembark.
The owner, Costa Cruises, was offering to pay for food and hotels for some 1,140 people who had been due to disembark at the Civitavecchia port near Rome, and the Costa Smeralda, carrying some 7,000 passengers, was to set sail again on January 31 in the morning, Italian media said.
Australia, South Korea, Singapore, and New Zealand have said they will quarantine all of their evacuated citizens for at least two weeks, while the United States and Japan planned voluntary isolation for shorter periods.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani government said it will not evacuate its nationals stranded in China. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, said the decision was in accordance with recommendations from the WHO.
"It is in the interest of the region, world, and country that we don't evacuate them now," Mirza said, adding that four Pakistani students in China were diagnosed with the coronavirus. Some 500 Pakistani students are based in Wuhan.
U.S. health officials said that, for the first time in the United States, the virus has spread from one person to another.
The latest case -- the sixth in the country -- is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from Hubei. There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace.