rferl--2020-07-11--Ex-CIA Chief Says U.S. May Need To Respond With ‘Bold’ Action If Russian Bounties Prove True

WASHINGTON -- The former head of the CIA said the United States may need to respond with “ bold ” action against Russia , including imposing harder-hitting sanctions , should a report prove true that Moscow offered Taliban-linked militants money to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan .
Leon Panetta , who served as CIA director and secretary of defense during the administration of President Barack Obama , told a congressional hearing on July 10 that such an action by Russia would cross a line and require a response that could include diplomatic isolation , sanctions , and , “ if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to carry out aggressive actions around the world because the United States has failed to take a tough stance against him and his nation in the past .
“ I think we may have to do something bold in order to get Putin ’ s attention .
I think , right now , Putin does not really believe that the United States is going to respond in a way that is going to really undermine Russia and undermine him , ” he told a hearing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at least the third this week in the Democratic-controlled House on the topic of whether Russia paid Taliban militants to target U.S. soldiers and how the United States should respond .
The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on July 9 with four military and foreign policy experts on how to respond to Russia , while the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the same day with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Mark Milley .
The issue has become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times first reported at the end of June that President Donald Trump was briefed on the bounty but did nothing in response .
The White House has said Trump , a Republican who is seeking reelection in November , was not briefed on the intelligence because it was unverified .
Should the intelligence report prove accurate , Panetta said the Trump administration should consider imposing the type of hard-hitting sanctions on Russia that it imposed on Iran .
Those punishing sanctions have cut into Iran ’ s economy , including its oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its suspected nuclear-weapons program .
Iran ’ s oil production has tumbled , starving the government of cash .
Russia is among the world ’ s top three oil producers and sanctions on its energy industry could potentially impact global supply and prices .
“ If we did [ that to Russia ] , it would send a clear signal to Putin that we are serious about making sure they stop the aggression that they have been involved in , ” he told the hearing .
Panetta pointed out that Russia has forcibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe , and interfered in U.S. elections , among other aggressive actions .
Panetta said the United States needs to strengthen NATO and build new alliances , including in Southeast Asia , the Middle East , Africa , and Latin America to promote stability and counter the influence of Russia and China .
Moscow and Beijing “ can ’ t form alliances .
They fear alliances .
So our ability to develop and maintain alliances is one of our best weapons against those adversaries , ” he said .
Panetta criticized Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. military personnel from Germany , saying it would send a “ message of weakness ” to Russia .
“ This is the wrong time to be moving forces out of Europe , ” he told the hearing .
Panetta , who served in the House of Representatives from 1977 until 1993 , said he is concerned about the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress on such issues , saying it plays into Putin ’ s hands .
“ We have got to restore a sense of bipartisanship when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , Putin looks at the United States and looks at the polarization and the partisanship and the divide that has taken place in our country and has seen that as weakness , ” he said .
Panetta 's son , Jimmy Panetta , is a Democratic member of the House , representing California .

WASHINGTON -- The former head of the CIA said the United States may need to respond with “bold” action against Russia, including imposing harder-hitting sanctions, should a report prove true that Moscow offered Taliban-linked militants money to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director and secretary of defense during the administration of President Barack Obama, told a congressional hearing on July 10 that such an action by Russia would cross a line and require a response that could include diplomatic isolation, sanctions, and, “if necessary,” military force.
Panetta said Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to carry out aggressive actions around the world because the United States has failed to take a tough stance against him and his nation in the past.
“I think we may have to do something bold in order to get Putin’s attention. I think, right now, Putin does not really believe that the United States is going to respond in a way that is going to really undermine Russia and undermine him,” he told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The hearing was at least the third this week in the Democratic-controlled House on the topic of whether Russia paid Taliban militants to target U.S. soldiers and how the United States should respond.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on July 9 with four military and foreign policy experts on how to respond to Russia, while the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the same day with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley.
The issue has become a hot, partisan topic since The New York Times first reported at the end of June that President Donald Trump was briefed on the bounty but did nothing in response.
The White House has said Trump, a Republican who is seeking reelection in November, was not briefed on the intelligence because it was unverified.
Should the intelligence report prove accurate, Panetta said the Trump administration should consider imposing the type of hard-hitting sanctions on Russia that it imposed on Iran.
Those punishing sanctions have cut into Iran’s economy, including its oil industry, as it seeks to stop its suspected nuclear-weapons program. Iran’s oil production has tumbled, starving the government of cash.
Russia is among the world’s top three oil producers and sanctions on its energy industry could potentially impact global supply and prices.
“If we did [that to Russia], it would send a clear signal to Putin that we are serious about making sure they stop the aggression that they have been involved in,” he told the hearing.
Panetta pointed out that Russia has forcibly annexed Crimea, carried out suspected assassinations in Europe, and interfered in U.S. elections, among other aggressive actions.
Panetta said the United States needs to strengthen NATO and build new alliances, including in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America to promote stability and counter the influence of Russia and China.
Moscow and Beijing “can’t form alliances. They fear alliances. So our ability to develop and maintain alliances is one of our best weapons against those adversaries,” he said.
Panetta criticized Trump’s plans to withdraw nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel from Germany, saying it would send a “message of weakness” to Russia.
“This is the wrong time to be moving forces out of Europe,” he told the hearing.
Panetta, who served in the House of Representatives from 1977 until 1993, said he is concerned about the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress on such issues, saying it plays into Putin’s hands.
“We have got to restore a sense of bipartisanship when it comes to our national security interests. Right now, Putin looks at the United States and looks at the polarization and the partisanship and the divide that has taken place in our country and has seen that as weakness,” he said.
Panetta's son, Jimmy Panetta, is a Democratic member of the House, representing California.


rferl--2020-07-11--Riot Police Fire Tear Gas To Break Up Anti-Government Protests In Belgrade

BELGRADE -- Police fired tear gas multiple times to break up a demonstration in Serbia 's capital on a fourth night of anti-government protests sparked by the country ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Angry protesters threw firecrackers and stones at riot police guarding the parliament in Belgrade on July 10 , breaking through a barrier to reach the building .
Police used their shields to push back the demonstrators and then chased people through the streets to break up the demonstration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the `` thugs '' who sparked incidents in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious damage and he told Serbs not to worry .
`` The perpetrators will be defeated , the majority of them will be arrested , and they will have to answer for all the crimes they committed , '' Vucic told Pink television in a live broadcast from Paris , where he is participating in normalization talks with Kosovo hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
Vucic said arrests were made in Belgrade , including the son of an adviser to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his activity might not have had anything to do with Dacic .
Vucic also said that the police did not react until the protesters reached the door of the parliament building , only then starting to make arrests .
`` Of course , there were normal people who wanted to protest and they are victims of bullies as well , '' he said .
Vucic noted that July 10 was the most difficult day for Serbia since the beginning of the pandemic , calling it a consequence of the previous five days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 18 people died in the previous 24 hours in Serbia .
The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 17,000 people in Serbia and killed 370 , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Protests also continued in Serbia 's second-largest city , Novi Sad , where demonstrators temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade .
Vucic called the effort `` pure terrorism . ''
`` Do you think it is possible to harass the whole country ?
No one will come to power by violence , only through elections , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people not to go out to protest because , he said , those who do will soon have to ask for help from a doctor , and hospitals are full .
Frustration has been mounting at the government 's latest response against a resurgent coronavirus outbreak and the perceived politicization of the team that is leading efforts to stem the danger to public health in the Balkan state .
The rising discontent was sparked after Vucic on July 7 said a curfew would be imposed to stem an outbreak in the capital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to a crescendo of criticism from people in the streets .
During an initial protest on July 7 , a group of protesters broke into the parliament building while others threw stones , bottles , and other projectiles at police , prompting officers to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd .
The protests have now morphed into larger anti-government protests caused by anger over mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis , and they have attracted leftist groups and right-wing organizations , each with numerous grievances against the government .
The protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serbian Progressive Party swept parliamentary elections in a June 21 vote that was tarnished by an opposition boycott and accusations he pushed for the elections despite health risks posed by the coronavirus .
The global coronavirus pandemic and the pathogen 's arrival in Serbia in March prompted a strict lockdown that interrupted over a year of weekly anti-government demonstrations .
Those protests targeted Vucic 's tightening grip on media and the levers of power amid a spate of attacks on journalists and other government critics in the Balkan country of around 7 million @ @

BELGRADE -- Police fired tear gas multiple times to break up a demonstration in Serbia's capital on a fourth night of anti-government protests sparked by the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Angry protesters threw firecrackers and stones at riot police guarding the parliament in Belgrade on July 10, breaking through a barrier to reach the building. Police used their shields to push back the demonstrators and then chased people through the streets to break up the demonstration.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the "thugs" who sparked incidents in front of the parliament building didn't cause any serious damage and he told Serbs not to worry.
"The perpetrators will be defeated, the majority of them will be arrested, and they will have to answer for all the crimes they committed," Vucic told Pink television in a live broadcast from Paris, where he is participating in normalization talks with Kosovo hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Vucic said arrests were made in Belgrade, including the son of an adviser to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, but he did not name him and said his activity might not have had anything to do with Dacic.
Vucic also said that the police did not react until the protesters reached the door of the parliament building, only then starting to make arrests.
"Of course, there were normal people who wanted to protest and they are victims of bullies as well," he said.
Vucic noted that July 10 was the most difficult day for Serbia since the beginning of the pandemic, calling it a consequence of the previous five days.
According to data published on July 10, 18 people died in the previous 24 hours in Serbia. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 17,000 people in Serbia and killed 370, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Protests also continued in Serbia's second-largest city, Novi Sad, where demonstrators temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade. Vucic called the effort "pure terrorism."
"Do you think it is possible to harass the whole country? No one will come to power by violence, only through elections," he said.
Vucic appealed to people not to go out to protest because, he said, those who do will soon have to ask for help from a doctor, and hospitals are full.
Frustration has been mounting at the government's latest response against a resurgent coronavirus outbreak and the perceived politicization of the team that is leading efforts to stem the danger to public health in the Balkan state.
The rising discontent was sparked after Vucic on July 7 said a curfew would be imposed to stem an outbreak in the capital. The government later backtracked on any lockdown in response to a crescendo of criticism from people in the streets.
During an initial protest on July 7, a group of protesters broke into the parliament building while others threw stones, bottles, and other projectiles at police, prompting officers to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The protests have now morphed into larger anti-government protests caused by anger over mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, and they have attracted leftist groups and right-wing organizations, each with numerous grievances against the government.
The protests come just weeks after Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party swept parliamentary elections in a June 21 vote that was tarnished by an opposition boycott and accusations he pushed for the elections despite health risks posed by the coronavirus.
The global coronavirus pandemic and the pathogen's arrival in Serbia in March prompted a strict lockdown that interrupted over a year of weekly anti-government demonstrations.
Those protests targeted Vucic's tightening grip on media and the levers of power amid a spate of attacks on journalists and other government critics in the Balkan country of around 7 million people.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-11--Former Russian Finance Minster Says Economy 'In Stagnation,' Needs More Government Spending

A respected former Russian finance minster said the nation 's economy is stagnating and the government needs to invest more in education and health in order to drive growth .
Aleksei Kudrin , who served as Russian finance minister through the 2000s , said if gross domestic product ( GDP ) falls 5 percent this year as expected , then the national economy would have averaged just 1 percent annual growth over the past decade , he said on July 11 during a speech in Moscow .
`` That is very low .
It 's historically low that during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Russia has the potential to average annual economic growth of 3 percent to 5 percent a year , but the government has n't taken the steps needed , he said .
`` And despite the fact that we have been talking about this for years , unfortunately , no decisions in this sense are being made [ and ] we are in stagnation , '' said Kudrin , who now heads the audit chamber .
Russian President Vladimir Putin 's approval ratings have declined in recent years and protest sentiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over stagnant living standards .
Putin 's decision last month to raise income taxes on the upper middle class and wealthy from 13 percent to 15 percent will have no major impact on the economy , he said .
`` It was politically almost inevitable .
It had to happen at some point , '' he said about the tax increase .
Kudrin said Russia needs to increase current spending plans on `` human capital '' such as health and eduction by 1 percent of GDP , which implies nearly $ 20 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from poor state administration and high regulatory barriers and needs to reform how government workers are trained and motivated .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax

A respected former Russian finance minister said the nation's economy is stagnating and the government needs to invest more in education and health in order to drive growth.
Aleksei Kudrin, who served as Russian finance minister through the 2000s, said if gross domestic product (GDP) falls 5 percent this year as expected, then the national economy would have averaged just 1 percent annual growth over the past decade, he said on July 11 during a speech in Moscow.
"That is very low. It's historically low that during a decade we grew so little," he said.
Russia has the potential to average annual economic growth of 3 percent to 5 percent a year, but the government hasn't taken the steps needed, he said.
"And despite the fact that we have been talking about this for years, unfortunately, no decisions in this sense are being made [and] we are in stagnation," said Kudrin, who now heads the audit chamber.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings have declined in recent years and protest sentiment inside the nation has increased amid anger over stagnant living standards.
Putin's decision last month to raise income taxes on the upper middle class and wealthy from 13 percent to 15 percent will have no major impact on the economy, he said.
"It was politically almost inevitable. It had to happen at some point," he said about the tax increase.
Kudrin said Russia needs to increase current spending plans on "human capital" such as health and eduction by 1 percent of GDP, which implies nearly $20 billion.
He also said the nation suffers from poor state administration and high regulatory barriers and needs to reform how government workers are trained and motivated.
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-11--Bulgarian President Calls For Government To Resign Amid Protests Against Corruption

SOFIA -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has called on the government and the prosecutor-general to step down as thousands of citizens gathered in the capital and near a beach on the Black Sea to protest corruption within the nation ’ s elite .
Radev made the comments on July 11 after the Prosecutor-General 's Office conducted a raid of his staff members two days earlier .
The search in the presidential office came after Radev said the National Protection Service ( NSO ) -- which is responsible for guarding the president , prime minister , and other high officials -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honorary chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms ( DPS ) .
Dogan is one of the most powerful people in Bulgaria .
Many people consider his DPS to have control over the nation ’ s judiciary , including the prosecutor ’ s office .
Radev ’ s comments were prompted after it was discovered that NSO members were illegally keeping people away from a public beach that is located near Dogan ’ s summer residence .
On July 11 , several thousand protesters made their way to the beach near Dogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 400 kilometers from the capital , Sofia .
The protesters demanded equal protection for all and access to the beach .
Some of the protesters made their way back to the capital in the evening for a third night of rallies against corruption and the ruling government .
They chanted “ resign ” in front of the government building , the parliament , and Palace of Justice .
The protests came amid rising political tension between Radev and the center-right government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov ahead of general elections next year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government for doing too little to uproot endemic corruption and has blasted prosecutors for cherry-picking their probes and colluding with the government .

SOFIA -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has called on the government and the prosecutor-general to step down as thousands of citizens gathered in the capital and near a beach on the Black Sea to protest corruption within the nation’s elite.
Radev made the comments on July 11 after the Prosecutor-General's Office conducted a raid of his staff members two days earlier.
The search in the presidential office came after Radev said the National Protection Service (NSO) -- which is responsible for guarding the president, prime minister, and other high officials -- should stop protecting Ahmed Dogan, the honorary chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS).
Dogan is one of the most powerful people in Bulgaria. Many people consider his DPS to have control over the nation’s judiciary, including the prosecutor’s office.
Radev’s comments were prompted after it was discovered that NSO members were illegally keeping people away from a public beach that is located near Dogan’s summer residence.
On July 11, several thousand protesters made their way to the beach near Dogan’s residence, which is located about 400 kilometers from the capital, Sofia. The protesters demanded equal protection for all and access to the beach.
Some of the protesters made their way back to the capital in the evening for a third night of rallies against corruption and the ruling government. They chanted “resign” in front of the government building, the parliament, and Palace of Justice.
The protests came amid rising political tension between Radev and the center-right government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov ahead of general elections next year.
Radev has often criticized Borisov's government for doing too little to uproot endemic corruption and has blasted prosecutors for cherry-picking their probes and colluding with the government.


rferl--2020-07-11--Elon Musk Invites Family Of Famed Soviet Rocket Scientist To Tour SpaceX

Elon Musk , the American entrepreneur and founder of aerospace company SpaceX , has invited the family of famed Soviet rocket scientist Sergei Korolev to visit his operations in the United States .
Musk tweeted on July 10 that he had spoken with the Korolev family , adding that the Soviet scientist was “ one of the very best ” in his field .
Andrei Korolev , the grandson of the scientist , told Russian media on July 11 that the family had written to Musk shortly after the successful launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship to the International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The launch ended Russia ’ s decade-long monopoly on travel to the space station and was the first by a private company .
Musk later spoke with the Korolev family for about 20 minutes via videoconference , Andrei Korolev said .
Andrei Korolyev said Musk invited the family to visit his SpaceX factory and observe a space launch once coronavirus travel restrictions have ended .
In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets on May 31 , the day after the Dragon Crew launch , Andrei Korolev said he was “ very happy ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of the American 's achievement .
He said at the time that Russia should also allow private aerospace companies to be involved in all aspects of the industry and not leave everything to the control of Roskosmos , the state space agency .
In the same interview , he criticized Roskosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin for saying in 2014 that the United States should use a trampoline to reach the International Space Station .
Rogozin made the comments after Washington imposed sanctions on him .
“ Everyone who read and saw that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Komsomolets .
Following the successful launch of the Crew Dragon , Musk , in a troll of Rogozin , retorted that “ the trampoline is working.
” Sergei Korolev , the father of the Soviet space program , was largely responsible for the launch of Sputnik , the world 's first satellite .
Andrei Korolev , who lives in Moscow , is a professor and medical doctor focusing on sports injuries .

Elon Musk, the American entrepreneur and founder of aerospace company SpaceX, has invited the family of famed Soviet rocket scientist Sergei Korolyov to visit his operations in the United States.
Musk tweeted on July 10 that he had spoken with the Korolyov family, adding that the Soviet scientist was “one of the very best” in his field.
Andrei Korolyov, the grandson of the scientist, told Russian media on July 11 that the family had written to Musk shortly after the successful launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship to the International Space Station at the end of May.
The launch ended Russia’s decade-long monopoly on travel to the space station and was the first by a private company.
Musk later spoke with the Korolyov family for about 20 minutes via videoconference, Andrei Korolyov said.
Andrei Korolyov said Musk invited the family to visit his SpaceX factory and observe a space launch once coronavirus travel restrictions have ended.
In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets on May 31, the day after the Dragon Crew launch, Andrei Korolyov said he was “very happy” for Musk and SpaceX and “proud” of the American's achievement.
He said at the time that Russia should also allow private aerospace companies to be involved in all aspects of the industry and not leave everything to the control of Roskosmos, the state space agency.
In the same interview, he criticized Roskosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin for saying in 2014 that the United States should use a trampoline to reach the International Space Station. Rogozin made the comments after Washington imposed sanctions on him.
“Everyone who read and saw that was embarrassed,” Andrei Korolyov told Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Following the successful launch of the Crew Dragon, Musk, in a troll of Rogozin, retorted that “the trampoline is working.”
Sergei Korolyov, the father of the Soviet space program, was largely responsible for the launch of Sputnik, the world's first satellite.
Andrei Korolyov, who lives in Moscow, is a professor and medical doctor focusing on sports injuries.


rferl--2020-07-11--Ukrainian Tycoon Kolomoyskiy Bidding For More Media Assets

A company controlled by Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy is bidding to manage the assets of a local media company , potentially giving the tycoon greater influence over the nation ’ s news content .
A subsidiary of Kolomoyskiy ’ s 1+1 Media Group is one of six companies vying for UMH Holding , once the leading media company in Ukraine , the Kyiv Post reported .
A state agency charged with recovering and managing assets stolen during the tenure of President Viktor Yanukovych is handling the bidding process .
Yanukovych was overthrown in 2014 following street protests over his corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UHM in 2013 for $ 400 million , but a Ukrainian court seized the asset in 2017 on the grounds that the money had been acquired illegally .
UMH Holding , though no longer wielding the same influence as in previous years , still owns 72 legal entities , including newspapers , radio stations , magazines and websites .
It also possesses the intellectual property rights on 283 trademarks as well as printing equipment .
Kolomoyskiy ’ s media assets are credited with helping comic-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy defeat incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His media empire already includes seven television channels , a group of Internet sites , and a production department , among other assets .
Kolomoyskiy returned to Ukraine from self-imposed exile shortly after Zelenskiy ’ s victory and is now considered one of the most influential oligarchs in the country .
Western nations are wary of his influence and have pushed Zelenskiy to pass laws that would prevent Kolomoyskiy from regaining his bank , which was nationalized by the state in 2016 amid a $ 5.5 billion hole in its accounts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akhmetov , has criticized the bidding process for UMH Holding , calling it “ a covert transfer of broadcasting licenses ” that violates local broadcasting laws .
Akhmetov also owns media assets .
With reporting by the Kyiv Post

A company controlled by Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy is bidding to manage the assets of a local media company, potentially giving the tycoon greater influence over the nation’s news content.
A subsidiary of Kolomoyskiy’s 1+1 Media Group is one of six companies vying for UMH Holding, once the leading media company in Ukraine, the Kyiv Post reported.
A state agency charged with recovering and managing assets stolen during the tenure of President Viktor Yanukovych is handling the bidding process. Yanukovych was overthrown in 2014 following street protests over his corrupt rule.
Fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko bought UHM in 2013 for $400 million, but a Ukrainian court seized the asset in 2017 on the grounds that the money had been acquired illegally.
UMH Holding, though no longer wielding the same influence as in previous years, still owns 72 legal entities, including newspapers, radio stations, magazines and websites. It also possesses the intellectual property rights on 283 trademarks as well as printing equipment.
Kolomoyskiy’s media assets are credited with helping comic-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy defeat incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a landslide in the April 2019 presidential election.
His media empire already includes seven television channels, a group of Internet sites, and a production department, among other assets.
Kolomoyskiy returned to Ukraine from self-imposed exile shortly after Zelenskiy’s victory and is now considered one of the most influential oligarchs in the country.
Western nations are wary of his influence and have pushed Zelenskiy to pass laws that would prevent Kolomoyskiy from regaining his bank, which was nationalized by the state in 2016 amid a $5.5 billion hole in its accounts.
Ukraine’s wealthiest oligarch, Rinat Akhmetov, has criticized the bidding process for UMH Holding, calling it “a covert transfer of broadcasting licenses” that violates local broadcasting laws. Akhmetov also owns media assets.
With reporting by the Kyiv Post


rferl--2020-07-11--Iran's Rohani Calls For Temporary Ban On Weddings, Funerals As Coronavirus Cases Rise

Iranian President Hassan Rohani called for large public gatherings such as weddings and funerals to be temporarily banned to slow a rise in coronavirus infections , but he shied away from recommending another round of curbs on economic activity .
Shortly after his announcement on July 11 , police in Tehran , the nation ’ s capital , announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice .
Iran , one of the nation ’ s most impacted by the coronavirus , has been gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April , but a sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call on the government to reverse course .
The country 's Health Ministry recorded more than 180 new fatalities and almost 2,400 new cases in the last 24 hours , bringing the total infections to 255,117 , with 12,635 dead .
Rohani has blamed the rise on public gatherings like weddings and funerals and said that university entrance exams may have to be suspended .
However , he rejected the idea of curbing economic activity , saying that shutting the economy has a negative impact on people ’ s lives as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyzing the economy would be unacceptable to the people , '' Rohani said in comments published on his office 's website on July 11 .
He has called for normal life to resume under strict hygienic conditions .
The economic lockdown that began in February has cost Iranians millions of jobs and sent the national currency , the rial , plummeting by more than half .
The economic crisis has prompted debate in Iran 's parliament about Rowhani 's political future , with some parties even openly calling for his resignation .
With @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-07-11--Nine More Victims Of Srebrenica Genocide Reburied On 25th Anniversary

A quarter of a century after the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina , the remains of nine more victims were laid to rest at the Potocari memorial cemetery .
The 25th anniversary was marked on July 11 in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic , which forced the main memorial ceremony to be scaled back .
In July 1995 , more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were rounded up and killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the eastern town of Srebrenica -- the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II .
The massacre was labeled as genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bosnian Serb officials refuse to accept that wording .
The episode came at the end of the 1992-95 Bosnian War pitting the Serbs against Bosniaks and Croats that claimed some 100,000 lives .
The remains of the nine recently identified victims were reburied at the Potocari memorial center , the final resting place for more than 6,640 people killed in the massacre .
About 1,000 are still missing Ahmo Ibisevic , whose son was buried on July 11 , told RFE/RL : `` My wife and I decided to bury the incomplete body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His son , Salko , was 23 when he was killed , and parts of his body were found in a mass grave in Liplje , near the town of Zvornik .
His family has tried to find the rest of his body , without success .
The family is also searching for the remains of Salko 's younger brother .
Normally , thousands attend the main ceremony in Potocari , but the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible this year .
Many who planned to attend as part of a big international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , canceled .
Srebrenica , a Muslim enclave on Serb territory , fell to Bosnian Serb forces on July 11 , 1995 .
Its Muslim population fled the town , which had been declared a UN `` safe haven '' for civilians .
They rushed to the UN compound in hopes that the peacekeepers would protect them .
When forces led by Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic arrived at the UN compound , the Dutch peacekeepers handed over the base .
The Bosnian Serb forces then separated out men and boys for execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in territory under their control .
Thousands of men and boys were executed in less than two weeks , and those who tried to flee through the woods were hunted down and killed by Bosnian Serb forces .
The bodies of the victims were tossed into mass graves .
The United Nations ' war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague established that the killings constituted genocide , and convicted Mladic and his political mentor Radovan Karadzic of genocide and other war crimes in Srebrenica .
But many Serbs deny the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suffering of the survivors .
Last year , Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the genocide “ a fabricated myth.
” `` The message to our politicians in the country and the region is : Build peace , respect , and trust… .
Without truth and justice , there is no peace , '' Munira Subasic , president of the Association of Mothers of the Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves , told the ceremony in Potocari .
The chairman of Bosnia ’ s tripartite presidency , Sefik Dzaferovic , called on the Serb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ face the truth without reservation [ and ] distance themselves from the ideology ” that led to the genocide in Srebrenica .
In a video message marking the 25th anniversary of the massacre , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for `` genuine reconciliation , '' saying that peace in Bosnia `` is still fragile . ''
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States “ pledges never to forget that tragedy , ” while EU leaders called the anniversary `` a painful reminder '' that Europe failed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the continent .
`` We must confront the past with honesty and look to the future with determination to support the next generations , '' said a joint statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , European Council President Charles Michel , and the bloc 's foreign policy chief , Josep Borrell .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that the killings took place `` at the end of the 20th century in the middle of Europe , almost under the eyes of the global public , '' adding : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounter them . ''

A quarter of a century after the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the remains of nine more victims were laid to rest at the Potocari memorial cemetery.
The 25th anniversary was marked on July 11 in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the main memorial ceremony to be scaled back.
In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were rounded up and killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the eastern town of Srebrenica -- the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.
The massacre was labeled as genocide by international courts, but Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials refuse to accept that wording.
The episode came at the end of the 1992-95 Bosnian War pitting the Serbs against Bosniaks and Croats that claimed some 100,000 lives.
The remains of the nine recently identified victims were reburied at the Potocari memorial center, the final resting place for more than 6,640 people killed in the massacre. About 1,000 are still missing
Ahmo Ibisevic, whose son was buried on July 11, told RFE/RL: "My wife and I decided to bury the incomplete body, to know where to come.”
His son, Salko, was 23 when he was killed, and parts of his body were found in a mass grave in Liplje, near the town of Zvornik. His family has tried to find the rest of his body, without success. The family is also searching for the remains of Salko's younger brother.
Normally, thousands attend the main ceremony in Potocari, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible this year.
Many who planned to attend as part of a big international presence, including Britain's Prince Charles, canceled.
Srebrenica, a Muslim enclave on Serb territory, fell to Bosnian Serb forces on July 11, 1995.
Its Muslim population fled the town, which had been declared a UN "safe haven" for civilians. They rushed to the UN compound in hopes that the peacekeepers would protect them.
When forces led by Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic arrived at the UN compound, the Dutch peacekeepers handed over the base. The Bosnian Serb forces then separated out men and boys for execution and sent the women and girls elsewhere in territory under their control.
Thousands of men and boys were executed in less than two weeks, and those who tried to flee through the woods were hunted down and killed by Bosnian Serb forces. The bodies of the victims were tossed into mass graves.
The United Nations' war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague established that the killings constituted genocide, and convicted Mladic and his political mentor Radovan Karadzic of genocide and other war crimes in Srebrenica.
But many Serbs deny the extent of the killings, adding to the suffering of the survivors. Last year, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the genocide “a fabricated myth.”
"The message to our politicians in the country and the region is: Build peace, respect, and trust…. Without truth and justice, there is no peace," Munira Subasic, president of the Association of Mothers of the Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves, told the ceremony in Potocari.
The chairman of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, called on the Serb political, religious, and intellectual elite to “face the truth without reservation [and] distance themselves from the ideology” that led to the genocide in Srebrenica.
In a video message marking the 25th anniversary of the massacre, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "genuine reconciliation," saying that peace in Bosnia "is still fragile."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States “pledges never to forget that tragedy,” while EU leaders called the anniversary "a painful reminder" that Europe failed in its promise to avoid such tragedy on the continent.
"We must confront the past with honesty and look to the future with determination to support the next generations," said a joint statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that the killings took place "at the end of the 20th century in the middle of Europe, almost under the eyes of the global public," adding: "We must oppose nationalist tendencies wherever we encounter them."


rferl--2020-07-12--Iran Says Misaligned Radar, Human Error To Blame For Downing Of Ukrainian Airliner

Iranian authorities say a misaligned missile battery and miscommunication between soldiers and superior officers were to blame for the January @ @ @ @ @ that killed 176 people .
The conclusions by Iran 's Civil Aviation Organization were detailed @ @ @ @ @ late on July 11 .
Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was struck by two missiles @ @ @ @ @ off from Tehran 's main airport on January 8 .
The disaster happened the same @ @ @ @ @ ballistic-missile attack that targeted U.S. soldiers in Iraq .
That attack was in response to @ @ @ @ @ had killed the powerful commander of Iran 's Revolutionary Guards Corps , Major General Qassem @ @ @ @ @ days earlier .
`` A failure occurred due to a human error in following the @ @ @ @ @ radar , causing a `` 107-degree error '' in the system , the Civil Aviation @ @ @ @ @ .
The authority said the document was a `` factual report '' and not the @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-07-12--Hundreds Protest For Second Day In Russia's Khabarovsk After Arrest Of Popular Governor

Hundreds marched through Khabarovsk amid a second day of protests in the Russian Far Eastern city over the arrest of a popular regional governor .
The July 12 demonstration saw people marching to the regional headquarters of the Federal Security Service , chanting `` Free Furgal ” -- a reference to Sergei Furgal , who was arrested two days earlier on murder charges dating back more than a decade .
The street protests , and angry political sentiment against the Kremlin , were unusual given how far Khabarovsk is from the Russian capital , and given how the Kremlin has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The protests were also the largest in the country since a national vote that has set the stage for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036 .
Videos posted on social media showed a crowd marching through downtown traffic , chanting and holding signs in support of Furgal .
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Furgal was elected governor of Khabarovsk in 2018 in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party , which is backed by the Kremlin and dominates Russia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to arrest Furgal now , 15 years after the alleged crimes , and demanded his trial be held in Khabarovsk and in a transparent manner .
The state-run TASS news agency estimated the July 12 action included several hundred people .
Activists affiliated with the corruption crusader Aleksei Navalny put the figure at 2,000 .
A protest on July 11 saw around 5,000 people , according to official estimates , though local media said as many as 35,000 may have participated .
Smaller rallies were also held in the military industrial city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
On July 10 , a Moscow court ordered the 50-year-old Furgal held in pretrial detention for two months .
He has pleaded not guilty to ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005 .
Vladimir Zhirinovsky , the outspoken nationalist leader of the party , told the State Duma on July 9 that the party ’ s faction in parliament was “ ready to resign in protest ” against the arrest .
`` Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chamber earlier this week .

Hundreds marched through Khabarovsk amid a second day of protests in the Russian Far Eastern city over the arrest of a popular regional governor.
The July 12 demonstration saw people marching to the regional headquarters of the Federal Security Service, chanting "Free Furgal” -- a reference to Sergei Furgal, who was arrested two days earlier on murder charges dating back more than a decade.
The street protests, and angry political sentiment against the Kremlin, were unusual given how far Khabarovsk is from the Russian capital, and given how the Kremlin has marginalized all political opposition in the country. The protests were also the largest in the country since a national vote that has set the stage for President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036.
Videos posted on social media showed a crowd marching through downtown traffic, chanting and holding signs in support of Furgal.
Nadezhda Tomchenko, Furgal’s spokeswoman, said his team is "thankful for such support."
"The whole city is abuzz," said Tomchenko in a July 12 video statement on Facebook. "I would like to ask, however, to refrain from aggression, from provocations.”
A member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Furgal was elected governor of Khabarovsk in 2018 in a major upset of the ruling United Russia party, which is backed by the Kremlin and dominates Russia’s political life.
Protesters questioned why prosecutors decided to arrest Furgal now, 15 years after the alleged crimes, and demanded his trial be held in Khabarovsk and in a transparent manner.
The state-run TASS news agency estimated the July 12 action included several hundred people. Activists affiliated with the corruption crusader Aleksei Navalny put the figure at around 5,000.
WATCH: Thousands March In Support Of Arrested Khabarovsk Governor (July 11)
A protest on July 11 saw around 5,000 people, according to official estimates, though local media said as many as 35,000 may have participated.
Smaller rallies were also held in the military industrial city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and other towns in the region.
On July 10, a Moscow court ordered the 50-year-old Furgal held in pretrial detention for two months. He has pleaded not guilty to ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the outspoken nationalist leader of the party, told the State Duma on July 9 that the party’s faction in parliament was “ready to resign in protest” against the arrest.
"Let the whole world learn what a mess this country is," Zhirinovsky told the parliament’s lower chamber earlier this week.


rferl--2020-07-12--Major Oil-Producing Nations To Discuss Possible Easing Of Production Cuts

The OPEC oil cartel was set to convene this week for discussions on whether to increase oil production amid signs that global demand was returning to pre-pandemic levels The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported that key cartel producers , such as Saudi Arabia , along with important nonmembers like Russia , were scheduled to hold a video conference on July 15 to debate the organization ’ s current and future production .
Major production cuts have helped stabilize crude prices , which had spiraled downward because of a drop in demand due to lockdowns and business closures to stem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , OPEC+ , a group of 23 oil-producing countries that includes Russia , agreed to reduce output for May and June by about 10 percent of global supply .
Now , Saudi Arabia and most participants in the alliance support loosening the curbs in production , the reports said .
The cartel ’ s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee will debate whether to keep the caps in place for another month or restore some supplies as originally planned .
Some members are leaning toward letting some supply be restored , Bloomberg reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase production next month , Bloomberg said .
Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said earlier this month that the government had taken no position on extending the cuts .
He also , however , signaled a preference for the group to stick to previous cuts .
Oil prices have recovered from a low of around $ 20 a barrel in late April to $ 43 as of last week .
The International Energy Agency on July 10 issued a report saying that the worst effects of the coronavirus on global oil demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that a recent surge in new infections and difficulty lowering death rates in the United States , along with the coronavirus ' reemergence in Asia , was “ casting a shadow over the outlook .
”

The OPEC oil cartel was set to convene this week for discussions on whether to increase oil production amid signs that global demand was returning to pre-pandemic levels
The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported that key cartel producers, such as Saudi Arabia, along with important nonmembers like Russia, were scheduled to hold a video conference on July 15 to debate the organization’s current and future production.
Major production cuts have helped stabilize crude prices, which had spiraled downward because of a drop in demand due to lockdowns and business closures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
In April, OPEC+, a group of 23 oil-producing countries that includes Russia, agreed to reduce output for May and June by about 10 percent of global supply.
Now, Saudi Arabia and most participants in the alliance support loosening the curbs in production, the reports said.
The cartel’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee will debate whether to keep the caps in place for another month or restore some supplies as originally planned. Some members are leaning toward letting some supply be restored, Bloomberg reported.
Major Russian oil companies were also preparing to increase production next month, Bloomberg said.
Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said earlier this month that the government had taken no position on extending the cuts. He also, however, signaled a preference for the group to stick to previous cuts.
Oil prices have recovered from a low of around $20 a barrel in late April to $43 as of last week.
The International Energy Agency on July 10 issued a report saying that the worst effects of the coronavirus on global oil demand have passed.
But the agency also said that a recent surge in new infections and difficulty lowering death rates in the United States, along with the coronavirus' reemergence in Asia, was “casting a shadow over the outlook.”


rferl--2020-07-12--Leaders Of Kosovo, Serbia To Hold Talks In EU Effort To Reboot Dialogue

Kosovo and Serbia were set to resume European Union-brokered talks after the two sides agreed to move forward with proposals to normalize relations between them .
Kosovo and Serbia agreed on July 10 to resume the long-stalled talks after a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
Whether there is any hope for progress was questionable after statements from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti issued after the video summit made it clear they remain far apart .
`` The talks will require political courage from both sides , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Josep Borrell , said in a statement on July 12 .
`` It has never been easy to find solutions to problems that lasted for so long and were so painful , '' Borrell said .
The video summit had been aimed at setting up the first face-to-face meeting of the Balkans leaders since November 2018 under a EU-backed dialogue process .
The face-to-face meeting had been slated to take place in Brussels on July 12 , but it was downgraded to a follow-up videoconference with no reason given .
The earliest prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 16 .
In a joint statement after the July 10 talks , France and Germany said that Vucic and Hoti agreed to resume the dialogue and said the two agreed to “ deepen cooperation ” in various areas to help rebuild trust .
The statement noted that “ the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is extremely important for security and stability in the region and , beyond that , of great significance for the EU membership prospects of both countries . ''
Kosovo , a former province of Serbia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected by Belgrade .
Five of the EU ’ s 27 countries – Romania , Cyprus , Greece , Slovakia , and Spain – also don ’ t recognize Kosovo ’ s independence .
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian imports .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the EU , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .
A German government statement issued after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged Vucic and Hoti to make substantial progress in negotiations .
Vucic said after the videoconference that the negotiations had been “ really tough , ” and said he told Macron and Merkel that if Kosovo 's independence `` is what they want to talk about , then these talks are completely meaningless.
” The new push comes after prosecutors in The Hague charged Kosovar President Hashim Thaci with war crimes , leading to the postponement of a planned June 27 White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart .

The European Union said long-stalled talks between Serbia and Kosovo were “back on track” after a video meeting between the two countries’ leaders.
Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held a virtual meeting mediated by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The video summit was aimed at setting up the first face-to-face meeting of the Balkan leaders since November 2018 under an EU-backed dialogue process.
EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, who also took part in the meeting, said Vucic and Hoti were scheduled to meet in Brussels on July 16.
“The EU-facilitated dialogue on [a] comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is back on track after 20 months,” said Lajcak after the end of the virtual meeting.
“We agreed on the main elements of the process. We also agreed on the agenda of our next meeting that will take place this coming Thursday, in Brussels, in person. I want to thank our partners for their constructive engagement today,” Lajcak said.
On July 10, the two Balkan nations agreed to resume talks after a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In those talks, Vucic and Hoti held firm to their positions. Vucic said the EU-backed process will be “meaningless” if they focus on whether Belgrade should recognize Kosovo’s independence. Hoti said “mutual recognition between the two countries is the only way to normalize relations.”
"The talks will require political courage from both sides," Borrell said in a statement earlier. "It has never been easy to find solutions to problems that lasted for so long and were so painful."
In a joint statement after the July 10 talks, France and Germany said that Vucic and Hoti agreed to resume the dialogue and said the two agreed to “deepen cooperation” in various areas to help rebuild trust.
The statement noted that “the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is extremely important for security and stability in the region and, beyond that, of great significance for the EU membership prospects of both countries."
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade. Five of the EU’s 27 countries – Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, and Spain – also don’t recognize Kosovo’s independence.
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian imports.
Both Kosovo and Serbia, which aspire to join the EU, have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations.
The new push comes after prosecutors in The Hague charged Kosovar President Hashim Thaci with war crimes, leading to the postponement of a planned June 27 White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart.
With reporting by AP


rferl--2020-07-12--Tragic Magic: Moscow City Contract Written With Disappearing Ink, Deputy Alleges

A deputy in a local Moscow council said a city contract to replace an elevator in an apartment building was written with disappearing ink , potentially allowing the company to inflate the price .
Elena Selkova , a member of the Council of Deputies for Moscow 's Cheryomushki district , posted a video on Facebook on July 9 of a contract for 2,659,995 rubles ( $ 37,500 ) to replace the elevator in a 12-story apartment complex built in her neighborhood .
When she placed the flame from a cigarette lighter near the contract , all the numbers except the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , would enable the company to increase the bill footed by taxpayers by nearly $ 5,000 .
The contract was to be approved at a meeting of a local commission that includes members of the Council of Deputies .
Selkova said the contract was signed by all the other commission members except her before the meeting even began .
The deputy said the incident underscores the importance of independent members in city government .
The Moscow Election Commission last year banned several independent politicians from running for seats in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many false signatures of support .
Their exclusion , which the politicians considered politically motivated to protect the ruling United Russia party , sparked the largest series of street protests in Moscow in seven years .

A deputy in a local Moscow council said a city contract to replace an elevator in an apartment building was written with disappearing ink, potentially allowing the company to inflate the price.
Elena Selkova, a member of the Council of Deputies for Moscow's Cheryomushki district, posted a video on Facebook on July 9 of a contract for 2,659,995 rubles ($37,500) to replace the elevator in a 12-story apartment complex built in her neighborhood.
When she placed the flame from a cigarette lighter near the contract, all the numbers except the first seemed to disappear. That, she said, would enable the company to increase the bill footed by taxpayers by nearly $5,000.
The contract was to be approved at a meeting of a local commission that includes members of the Council of Deputies.
Selkova said the contract was signed by all the other commission members except her before the meeting even began.
The deputy said the incident underscores the importance of independent members in city government.
The Moscow Election Commission last year banned several independent politicians from running for seats in the city parliament on claims that they submitted too many false signatures of support.
Their exclusion, which the politicians considered politically motivated to protect the ruling United Russia party, sparked the largest series of street protests in Moscow in seven years.


rferl--2020-07-12--Former Special Counsel Defends Probe Into Russian Interference In 2016 Election

Former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller , who conducted a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election , has defended his investigation and said the conviction of Roger Stone , an adviser to President Donald Trump , was handled properly .
Mueller called the Russia investigation `` of paramount importance '' and said Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes .
`` He remains a convicted felon , and rightly so , '' Mueller said in an opinion piece published on July 11 by The Washington Post .
Stone had been due to report to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was commuted by Trump on July 10 .
He faced a sentence of three years and four months for lying to Congress , witness tampering , and obstructing the House of Representatives ' investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election .
The presidential grant of clemency stopped short of a full pardon for Stone , 67 , a Trump loyalist who has served as a political operative for several Republican presidential candidates .
Mueller , a former FBI director , said he felt compelled to write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his investigation was illegitimate and that its motives were improper .
Mueller also said he specifically wanted to address claims that Stone was a victim .
In announcing Trump ’ s decision to commute Stone ’ s sentence , a White House statement on July 10 said Stone had been a victim of the `` Russia hoax , ” had “ suffered greatly , ” and was “ treated very unfairly.
” But Mueller traced the basis for prosecuting Stone , recounting how he had not only tampered with a witness but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain inside information about e-mails that Russian intelligence operatives stole from top Democrats and provided to WikiLeaks , which published them at a crucial time in the run-up to the election .
Mueller said Stone was critical to the investigation because he claimed inside knowledge about WikiLeaks ’ release of the stolen e-mails and because he communicated during the campaign with people known to be Russian intelligence officers .
He also communicated with members of the Trump campaign about the timing of the WikiLeaks releases , Mueller said .
Mueller 's investigation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of reaching conclusions about Trump ’ s conduct , including whether he obstructed justice .
Though his report on the investigation detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia , it did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election .
Mueller acknowledged that in his opinion piece , adding that the investigation did , however , establish that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and “ worked to secure that outcome.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign expected it would benefit from information stolen and released through Russian efforts .
Mueller ’ s reaction comes after the White House statement called his investigation “ absolutely baseless ” and said the charges he sought “ were the product of recklessness borne of frustration and malice.
” His opinion piece also appears to refute the White House assertion that the investigation was perpetuated by “ the Left and its allies in the media ” in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency .
Trump 's decision to grant Stone clemency also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nancy Pelosi , who called it `` an act of staggering corruption . ''
With reporting by AP and AFP

Former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who conducted a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, has defended his investigation and said the conviction of Roger Stone, an adviser to President Donald Trump, was handled properly.
Mueller called the Russia investigation "of paramount importance" and said Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes.
"He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so," Mueller said in an opinion piece published on July 11 by The Washington Post.
Stone had been due to report to prison next week until his jail time was commuted by Trump on July 10. He faced a sentence of three years and four months for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the House of Representatives' investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. The presidential grant of clemency stopped short of a full pardon for Stone, 67, a Trump loyalist who has served as a political operative for several Republican presidential candidates.
Mueller, a former FBI director, said he felt compelled to write the opinion piece to respond to claims that his investigation was illegitimate and that its motives were improper. Mueller also said he specifically wanted to address claims that Stone was a victim.
In announcing Trump’s decision to commute Stone’s sentence, a White House statement on July 10 said Stone had been a victim of the "Russia hoax,” had “suffered greatly,” and was “treated very unfairly.”
But Mueller traced the basis for prosecuting Stone, recounting how he had not only tampered with a witness but also lied repeatedly about his efforts to gain inside information about e-mails that Russian intelligence operatives stole from top Democrats and provided to WikiLeaks, which published them at a crucial time in the run-up to the election.
Mueller said Stone was critical to the investigation because he claimed inside knowledge about WikiLeaks’ release of the stolen e-mails and because he communicated during the campaign with people known to be Russian intelligence officers. He also communicated with members of the Trump campaign about the timing of the WikiLeaks releases, Mueller said.
Mueller's investigation, which concluded in April 2019, stopped short of reaching conclusions about Trump’s conduct, including whether he obstructed justice.
Though his report on the investigation detailed multiple interactions between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, it did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the election.
Mueller acknowledged that in his opinion piece, adding that the investigation did, however, establish that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and “worked to secure that outcome.”
He said it also established that the Trump campaign expected it would benefit from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.
Mueller’s reaction comes after the White House statement called his investigation “absolutely baseless” and said the charges he sought “were the product of recklessness borne of frustration and malice.”
His opinion piece also appears to refute the White House assertion that the investigation was perpetuated by “the Left and its allies in the media” in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency.
Trump's decision to grant Stone clemency also drew a strong reaction from House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called it "an act of staggering corruption."
With reporting by AP and AFP


rferl--2020-07-12--Fifth Night Of Anti-Government Protests In Belgrade Remain Peaceful

Several thousand people gathered in front of the Serbian parliament building in Belgrade on July 11 for a fifth consecutive night of anti-government protests that started over the government ’ s plans to reintroduce a coronavirus lockdown .
Protesters , most of whom wore masks , walked in front of the parliament building , occasionally calling for President Aleksandar Vucic to step down .
Unlike protests the night before , it remained peaceful , with protesters saying they want authorities to inform the public about everything that has happened in connection with the coronavirus pandemic .
Similar peaceful protests were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Novi Sad , where demonstrators on July 10 temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade .
The demonstrations were initially driven by frustration over measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus but evolved into anti-government rallies that have demanded Vucic 's resignation .
Riot police broke up the protest on July 10 by using tear gas and chasing demonstrators through the streets .
Angry protesters had thrown bottles , firecrackers , and stones at police as they attempted to reach the parliament building in Belgrade , but were pushed back .
Vucic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents and vowed that they would be arrested .
Serbian police said on July 11 that they had detained 71 people after the clashes the night before .
Police chief Vladimir Rebic said 14 police officers had been injured in the rioting .
Critics say the government 's decision to allow soccer matches , religious festivities , parties , and private gatherings to resume in May and parliamentary elections to go ahead on June 21 are to blame for a surge in infections .
The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 18,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Some Serbs have accused the government of playing down the outbreak in order to allow the elections to proceed .
Vucic 's ruling Serbian Progressive Party swept those elections , which were tarnished by an opposition boycott .
Vucic has dismissed those claims and has warned people not to protest because they could spread the coronavirus .
With reporting by AP and Reuters

Several thousand people gathered in front of the Serbian parliament building in Belgrade on July 11 for a fifth consecutive night of anti-government protests that started over the government’s plans to reintroduce a coronavirus lockdown.
Protesters, most of whom wore masks, walked in front of the parliament building, occasionally calling for President Aleksandar Vucic to step down.
Unlike protests the night before, it remained peaceful, with protesters saying they want authorities to inform the public about everything that has happened in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.
Similar peaceful protests were held in other Serbian cities, including Novi Sad, where demonstrators on July 10 temporarily blocked a highway leading to Belgrade.
The demonstrations were initially driven by frustration over measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus but evolved into anti-government rallies that have demanded Vucic's resignation.
Riot police broke up the protest on July 10 by using tear gas and chasing demonstrators through the streets. Angry protesters had thrown bottles, firecrackers, and stones at police as they attempted to reach the parliament building in Belgrade, but were pushed back.
Vucic said "thugs" had caused the incidents and vowed that they would be arrested.
Serbian police said on July 11 that they had detained 71 people after the clashes the night before. Police chief Vladimir Rebic said 14 police officers had been injured in the rioting.
Critics say the government's decision to allow soccer matches, religious festivities, parties, and private gatherings to resume in May and parliamentary elections to go ahead on June 21 are to blame for a surge in infections.
The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 18,000 people in Serbia and killed 382, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Some Serbs have accused the government of playing down the outbreak in order to allow the elections to proceed. Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party swept those elections, which were tarnished by an opposition boycott.
Vucic has dismissed those claims and has warned people not to protest because they could spread the coronavirus.
With reporting by AP and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-11--Former Russian Finance Minister Says Economy 'In Stagnation,' Needs More Government Spending

A respected former Russian finance minister said the nation 's economy is stagnating and the government needs to invest more in education and health in order to drive growth .
Aleksei Kudrin , who served as Russian finance minister through the 2000s , said if gross domestic product ( GDP ) falls 5 percent this year as expected , then the national economy would have averaged just 1 percent annual growth over the past decade , he said on July 11 during a speech in Moscow .
`` That is very low .
It 's historically low that during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Russia has the potential to average annual economic growth of 3 percent to 5 percent a year , but the government has n't taken the steps needed , he said .
`` And despite the fact that we have been talking about this for years , unfortunately , no decisions in this sense are being made [ and ] we are in stagnation , '' said Kudrin , who now heads the audit chamber .
Russian President Vladimir Putin 's approval ratings have declined in recent years and protest sentiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over stagnant living standards .
Putin 's decision last month to raise income taxes on the upper middle class and wealthy from 13 percent to 15 percent will have no major impact on the economy , he said .
`` It was politically almost inevitable .
It had to happen at some point , '' he said about the tax increase .
Kudrin said Russia needs to increase current spending plans on `` human capital '' such as health and eduction by 1 percent of GDP , which implies nearly $ 20 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from poor state administration and high regulatory barriers and needs to reform how government workers are trained and motivated .
With reporting by TASS and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-12--Pakistan's Military Says Four Soldiers Killed In Shoot-Out In Northwest

Pakistan 's military says four soldiers and four `` terrorists '' were killed during a gunfight in the northwestern region @ @ @ @ @ borders Afghanistan .
A statement from the military ’ s public relations wing said the @ @ @ @ @ `` intelligence-based operation '' early on July 12 .
The statement said the gunfight erupted @ @ @ @ @ called a military hideout near the town of Miran Shah , the main urban center @ @ @ @ @ group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack .
North Waziristan served as a stronghold for @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , when Pakistan ’ s army launched a massive military operation to clear the @ @ @ @ @ the army ’ s claims of success , the region has continued to be the @ @ @ @ @ targeted killings , and roadside bombs .
On June 10 , the military said a @ @ @ @ @ carrying troops exploded , killing two soldiers and wounding two others .

Pakistan's military says four soldiers and four "terrorists" were killed during a gunfight in the northwestern region of North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan.
A statement from the military’s public relations wing said the soldiers were killed during an "intelligence-based operation" early on July 12.
The statement said the gunfight erupted after soldiers surrounded what it called a military hideout near the town of Miran Shah, the main urban center in North Waziristan.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
North Waziristan served as a stronghold for local and foreign militants until 2014, when Pakistan’s army launched a massive military operation to clear the region of militants.
Despite the army’s claims of success, the region has continued to be the scene of violent attacks, targeted killings, and roadside bombs.
On June 10, the military said a roadside bomb targeting a vehicle carrying troops exploded, killing two soldiers and wounding two others.


rferl--2020-07-12--Azerbaijan, Armenia Trade Accusations Over Deadly Border Fighting

Azerbaijan and Armenia have accused each other of violating the fragile cease-fire along their border .
Azerbaijan 's Defense Ministry said on July 12 that two of its soldiers were killed after Armenian forces attacked its positions .
The ministry said in a statement that Armenia 's `` offensive '' from its northern Tavush region was met with a `` counterstrike . ''
`` Two Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and five more wounded , '' the statement added .
Meanwhile , Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian accused Baku of `` using artillery in an attack aimed at capturing [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were repulsed , suffering losses in manpower .
There were no casualties among Armenian servicemen , '' Stepanian said in a Facebook post .
The two neighbors have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan 's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for years .
But the clashes on July 12 were far from Nagorno-Karabakh and directly between the two nations , which rarely occurs .
The July 12 clashes came days after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev raised the possibility of a new war with Armenia and denounced stalled peace talks .
On July 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` if they yield no results . ''
He did not provide further details .
Aliyev accused Yerevan of a military buildup along the two countries ' border and of `` regularly '' shelling civilian targets in Azerbaijan .
Mainly Armenian populated Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan amid a 1988-94 war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people .
Since 1994 , it has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia .
The region 's claim to independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Negotiations involving the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , co-chaired by Russia , the United States , and France , helped forge a cease-fire in the region , which is not always honored , but have failed to produce a lasting settlement of the conflict .
With reporting by AFP and Interfax

Azerbaijan and Armenia have accused each other of violating the fragile cease-fire along their border.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said on July 12 that two of its soldiers were killed after Armenian forces attacked its positions.
The ministry said in a statement that Armenia's "offensive" from its northern Tavush region was met with a "counterstrike."
"Two Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and five more wounded," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Armenian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian accused Baku of "using artillery in an attack aimed at capturing [Armenian] positions."
"They were repulsed, suffering losses in manpower. There were no casualties among Armenian servicemen," Stepanian said in a Facebook post.
The two neighbors have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for years.
But the clashes on July 12 were far from Nagorno-Karabakh and directly between the two nations, which rarely occurs.
The July 12 clashes came days after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev raised the possibility of a new war with Armenia and denounced stalled peace talks.
On July 7, Aliyev threatened to withdraw from negotiations "if they yield no results." He did not provide further details.
Aliyev accused Yerevan of a military buildup along the two countries' border and of "regularly" shelling civilian targets in Azerbaijan.
Mainly Armenian populated Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan amid a 1988-94 war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Since 1994, it has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia. The region's claim to independence has not been recognized by any country.
Negotiations involving the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), co-chaired by Russia, the United States, and France, helped forge a cease-fire in the region, which is not always honored, but have failed to produce a lasting settlement of the conflict.
With reporting by AFP and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-12--Russia's Norilsk Nickel Reports New Fuel Spill In Arctic

Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel said around 45 tons of aviation fuel has spilled from its pipeline in the Arctic .
The incident is the latest in a series of environmental disasters to hit around the Far Northern city of Norilsk , which is located above the Arctic Circle .
In May , some 21,000 tons of diesel fuel was spilled from a Norilsk Nickel-operated power plant in Norilsk .
`` A pipeline owned by Norilsktransgaz was depressurized while pumping aviation fuel in the area of Tukhard settlement , '' Norilsk Nickel said in a statement on July 12 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the depressurization , which lasted about 15 minutes , there was a spill of up to 44.5 tons of fuel . ''
Earlier , Norilsk Nickel 's subsidiary Norilsktransgaz said the amount of spilled fuel was 20 tons .
Tukhard settlement is situated some 100 kilometers from Norilsk and around 70 kilometers from Norilsk Nickel 's Arctic port of Dudinka .
The company said the pipeline has been shut down and measures were being taken to collect the spilled fuel .
Norilsk said it had launched an internal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nickel , the world ’ s largest producer of nickel and palladium , is controlled by Russia 's richest man , Vladimir Potanin , whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $ 23.5 billion .
On May 29 , in what was described as the worst environmental disaster to impact the Arctic , more than 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled into the soil , two rivers , and a downstream lake after a storage tank at a Norilsk Nickel-operated thermal power plant near the industrial city of Norilsk collapsed or sank due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thawing permafrost soil .
Two plant managers and two top engineers were arrested on suspicion of violating environmental-protection rules .
The mayor of Norilsk and a government inspector were also charged with negligence .
President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency after the incident and Norilsk Nickel promised to pay the costs of the cleanup , estimated at 10 billion rubles ( $ 145 million ) .
With reporting by Reuters and dpa

Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel said around 45 tons of aviation fuel has spilled from its pipeline in the Arctic.
The incident is the latest in a series of environmental disasters to hit around the Far Northern city of Norilsk, which is located above the Arctic Circle.
In May, some 21,000 tons of diesel fuel was spilled from a Norilsk Nickel-operated power plant in Norilsk.
"A pipeline owned by Norilsktransgaz was depressurized while pumping aviation fuel in the area of Tukhard settlement," Norilsk Nickel said in a statement on July 12.
"According to the preliminary data, as a result of the depressurization, which lasted about 15 minutes, there was a spill of up to 44.5 tons of fuel."
Earlier, Norilsk Nickel's subsidiary Norilsktransgaz said the amount of spilled fuel was 20 tons.
Tukhard settlement is situated some 100 kilometers from Norilsk and around 70 kilometers from Norilsk Nickel's Arctic port of Dudinka.
The company said the pipeline has been shut down and measures were being taken to collect the spilled fuel.
Norilsk said it had launched an internal investigation and informed the Emergency Ministry.
Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium, is controlled by Russia's richest man, Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $23.5 billion.
On May 29, in what was described as the worst environmental disaster to impact the Arctic, more than 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled into the soil, two rivers, and a downstream lake after a storage tank at a Norilsk Nickel-operated thermal power plant near the industrial city of Norilsk collapsed or sank due to what the company said was the thawing permafrost soil.
Two plant managers and two top engineers were arrested on suspicion of violating environmental-protection rules. The mayor of Norilsk and a government inspector were also charged with negligence.
President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency after the incident and Norilsk Nickel promised to pay the costs of the cleanup, estimated at 10 billion rubles ($145 million).
With reporting by Reuters and dpa