themoscowtimes--2020-07-18--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Pass 760K

Russia's Coronavirus Cases Pass 760K

From July Moscow has no longer required people to wear masks outdoors as the number of new coronavirus cases has dwindled in the Russian capital in recent weeks .
Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8 , a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks .
Many other regions lifted lockdown restrictions ahead of a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic .
Critics have cast doubt on Russia 's low official mortality rate and accused authorities of under-reporting to play down the scale of the crisis .
Russia attributes its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has identified many cases with mild or no coronavirus symptoms .
The Health Ministry is now adjusting how it reports numbers to include all deaths believed to be related to the virus even if the direct cause of death was another condition or the patient tested negative .
Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin , a liberal politician known for his outspoken comments , said Russia 's health system requires more funds and modernization in many regions .
`` Medicine is significantly underfunded even according to the current norms and also it needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who heads the Audit Chamber that examines government spending , said in an interview with the state-run TASS state news agency .
`` We will carry out a check and show these figures , '' he added .
Nevertheless the economist said Russia `` is not doing a bad job with the pandemic , '' crediting the role of the military , which has built emergency facilities .

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Russia's fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures.
Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
Both events were initially postponed due the epidemic.
Moscow opened cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1. In the capital, masks are mandatory in stores and on public transport but not in the streets.
Several institutes in Russia are working on a coronavirus vaccine.
The Russian Defense Ministry has said it developed a "safe" vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The trials are ongoing, and the Defense Ministry expects clinical trials to be fully completed in the coming weeks.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-19--UK 'Confident' Moscow Helped Hackers Target Virus Vaccine

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Sunday he was `` absolutely confident '' in allegations by the UK and its allies that Russia targeted labs conducting coronavirus research , branding the behavior `` outrageous and reprehensible '' .
Britain , the United States and Canada on Thursday accused a hacking group called APT29 of spearheading the online attacks on various organizations involved in Covid-19 vaccine development .
They said the collective is `` almost certainly '' linked to Russian intelligence , and intended to steal information and intellectual property .
Moscow quickly rejected the accusations as `` groundless '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a British television interview Sunday the claims made `` no sense '' .
However , Raab reiterated that the trio 's conclusions were based on assessments by Britain 's National Cyber Security Centre ( NCSC ) and its counterparts in the U.S. and Canada .
`` We 're absolutely confident that the Russian intelligence agencies were engaged in a cyber attack on research and development efforts in organizations in this country and internationally with a view either to sabotage or to profit , '' he told Sky News .
`` At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try and tackle Covid-19 ...
I think it 's outrageous and reprehensible that the Russian government is engaged in this activity . ''

Britain, the United States and Canada on Thursday accused a hacking group called APT29 of spearheading the online attacks on various organizations involved in Covid 19 vaccine development.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Sunday he was "absolutely confident" in allegations by the UK and its allies that Russia targeted labs conducting coronavirus research, branding the behavior "outrageous and reprehensible."
They said the collective is "almost certainly" linked to Russian intelligence, and intended to steal information and intellectual property.
Moscow quickly rejected the accusations as "groundless", and its ambassador to London said in a British television interview Sunday the claims made "no sense."
However, Raab reiterated that the trio's conclusions were based on assessments by Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and its counterparts in the U.S. and Canada.
"We're absolutely confident that the Russian intelligence agencies were engaged in a cyber attack on research and development efforts in organizations in this country and internationally with a view either to sabotage or to profit," he told Sky News.
"At the time that the world has come together to try and tackle Covid-19... I think it's outrageous and reprehensible that the Russian government is engaged in this activity."
However Andrei Kelin, who was appointed Moscow's top envoy in Britain last November, ridiculed the claims in a BBC interview.
"I don't believe in this story at all, there is no sense in it," he told the Andrew Marr Show, adding he had learned about the hacking collective's existence from British media reports.
"In this world, to attribute any kind of computer hackers to any country, it is impossible."
'Spy story'
Kelin also rejected a separate claim by London that "Russian actors" sought to disrupt last year's UK general election.
Raab said Thursday that perpetrators in Russia had circulated leaked trade documents between Britain and the United States, in a bid to sow greater division in the contest.
"I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference," Kelin said.
"We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference... we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now."
Russia and Britain have been at loggerheads since Moscow was accused of trying to kill double agent Sergei Skripal with a powerful military-grade nerve agent in 2018.
The attack in Salisbury, southwest England, came 12 years after the radiation poisoning of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-19--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Pass 770K

Russia's Coronavirus Cases Pass 770K