themoscowtimes--2020-10-13--New Marine Animal Deaths Discovered Off Russia’s Kamchatka Coast

Scientists and witnesses reported seeing dead marine animals along the seabed south of the initial discovery last week , Kamchatka region governor Vladimir Solodov said on Instagram .
Neighboring beaches , he said , were not affected .
New mass deaths of marine animals have been discovered off the coast of Russia ’ s Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula where an unexplained event recently killed off up to 95 % of seabed life , authorities said Monday .
“ The evidence shows that the scale of the occurrence is extremely large , ” Solodov said .
He said that the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change and other polluting effects we as humankind cause to the Pacific Ocean.
” “ We can ’ t say that a local man-made object near [ the port city of ] Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was the cause , ” Solodov added .
Environmental activists previously warned that the pollution could have come from a Soviet-era storage facility for poisonous chemicals that might have seeped out into the sea .
Russian Academy of Sciences vice president Andrei Adrianov said earlier in the day that the mass death was caused by toxins from microalgae known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed by leading Russian marine biologists , who pointed to the presence of yellow foam covering an area that can be seen from space .
Local surfers and swimmers initially raised the alarm last month after experiencing eye pain and nausea from going in the water .
They grabbed national attention with shocking images of dead sea urchins , crabs and octopuses washed up on the shore of Khalatyrsky beach on Avacha Bay .
Solodov said he has asked the Russian government to form a “ comprehensive research project ” to study the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered a new large-scale phenomenon that science has yet to comprehend , ” Solodov said .

Scientists and witnesses reported seeing dead marine animals along the seabed south of the initial discovery last week, Kamchatka region governor Vladimir Solodov said on Instagram. Neighboring beaches, he said, were not affected.
New mass deaths of marine animals have been discovered off the coast of Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula where an unexplained event recently killed off up to 95% of seabed life, authorities said Monday.
“The evidence shows that the scale of the occurrence is extremely large,” Solodov said.
He said that the deaths were “almost certainly linked to climate change and other polluting effects we as humankind cause to the Pacific Ocean.”
“We can’t say that a local man-made object near [the port city of] Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was the cause,” Solodov added. Environmental activists previously warned that the pollution could have come from a Soviet-era storage facility for poisonous chemicals that might have seeped out into the sea.
Russian Academy of Sciences vice president Andrei Adrianov said earlier in the day that the mass death was caused by toxins from microalgae known as algae bloom. The theory has been backed by leading Russian marine biologists, who pointed to the presence of yellow foam covering an area that can be seen from space.
Local surfers and swimmers initially raised the alarm last month after experiencing eye pain and nausea from going in the water. They grabbed national attention with shocking images of dead sea urchins, crabs and octopuses washed up on the shore of Khalatyrsky beach on Avacha Bay.
Solodov said he has asked the Russian government to form a “comprehensive research project” to study the mysterious die-off.
“We’ve encountered a new large-scale phenomenon that science has yet to comprehend,” Solodov said.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-13--U.S. Says 'Agreement in Principle' With Russia on Extending Key Nuclear Pact

President Donald Trump 's administration has been insisting without success that China enter the nuclear reduction agreement but , with U.S. elections three weeks away , signaled it was willing to keep the treaty largely as is for now .
The United States said Tuesday it had reached an `` agreement in principle '' with Russia on extending New START , the two nations ' last major nuclear accord , which is due to expire in February .
`` We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a freeze — on their nuclear arsenal , '' U.S. negotiator Marshall Billingslea said .
`` We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments , '' he said at the Heritage Foundation think tank .
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to meet his Russian counterpart in Helsinki , saying he sensed a mood for compromise .
He said that Russia still needed to give final approval to the `` gentlemen 's agreement '' and give authority to nail down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike this deal .
We can strike it tomorrow , in fact .
But Moscow is going to have to show the political will to do so as well , '' he said .
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China — whose nuclear program is quickly growing but is still a fraction the size of the Russian and U.S. arsenals .
`` Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way that allows us to extend that arrangement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought to the negotiating table , '' Billingslea said .
He said that the United States was also seeking verification measures from Russia and was willing to undertake reciprocal steps .
`` If we know anything about the Russians it is that they are serial treaty violators , '' he said .

President Donald Trump's administration has been insisting without success that China enter the nuclear reduction agreement but, with U.S. elections three weeks away, signaled it was willing to keep the treaty largely as is for now.
The United States said Tuesday it had reached an "agreement in principle" with Russia on extending New START, the two nations' last major nuclear accord, which is due to expire in February.
"We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they, in return, agree to a limitation — a freeze — on their nuclear arsenal," U.S. negotiator Marshall Billingslea said.
"We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments," he said at the Heritage Foundation think tank.
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to meet his Russian counterpart in Helsinki, saying he sensed a mood for compromise.
He said that Russia still needed to give final approval to the "gentlemen's agreement" and give authority to nail down the details.
"We are ready to strike this deal. We can strike it tomorrow, in fact. But Moscow is going to have to show the political will to do so as well," he said.
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China — whose nuclear program is quickly growing but is still a fraction the size of the Russian and U.S. arsenals.
"Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way that allows us to extend that arrangement to the Chinese when they are finally brought to the negotiating table," Billingslea said.
He said that the United States was also seeking verification measures from Russia and was willing to undertake reciprocal steps.
"If we know anything about the Russians it is that they are serial treaty violators," he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-13--Norway Says Russia Behind Cyber Attack on Parliament

Hackers gained access to some lawmakers ' messages in the attack .
Norway 's government on Tuesday said that it believes Russia was behind an August cyber attack targeting the email system of the country 's parliament .
`` Based on the information the government has , it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities , '' Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said in a statement .
The Russian embassy in Oslo described the accusation , which it hotly rejected , as a `` serious provocation . ''
`` No proof has been presented .
We consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We consider this a serious and wilful provocation , destructive for bilateral relations , '' the embassy stated on its Facebook page , adding it expected Oslo to provide `` explanations . ''
Oslo 's foreign ministry did not specify what information prompted its conclusions , but encouraged companies to follow guidelines on cyber security .
`` This is a very serious incident , affecting our most important democratic institution , '' Eriksen Soreide said .
In its annual threat assessment published in February , Norway 's PST domestic intelligence service warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said represented a `` persistent and long-term threat to Norway . ''
In 2018 , NATO member Norway arrested a Russian national suspected of gathering information on the parliament 's internet network , but released him several weeks later due to lack of evidence .
In August , Oslo expelled a Russian diplomat discovered in a restaurant meeting a Norwegian national suspected of spying for Moscow .
Russia responded by expelling a Norwegian envoy .
The two countries , which share a common border in the Arctic , have generally enjoyed good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia 's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 .

Hackers gained access to some lawmakers' messages in the attack.
Norway's government on Tuesday said that it believes Russia was behind an August cyber attack targeting the email system of the country's parliament.
"Based on the information the government has, it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities," Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said in a statement.
The Russian embassy in Oslo described the accusation, which it hotly rejected, as a "serious provocation."
"No proof has been presented. We consider such accusations against our country as unacceptable. We consider this a serious and wilful provocation, destructive for bilateral relations," the embassy stated on its Facebook page, adding it expected Oslo to provide "explanations."
Oslo's foreign ministry did not specify what information prompted its conclusions, but encouraged companies to follow guidelines on cyber security.
"This is a very serious incident, affecting our most important democratic institution," Eriksen Soreide said.
In its annual threat assessment published in February, Norway's PST domestic intelligence service warned of "computer network operations" which they said represented a "persistent and long-term threat to Norway."
In 2018, NATO member Norway arrested a Russian national suspected of gathering information on the parliament's internet network, but released him several weeks later due to lack of evidence.
In August, Oslo expelled a Russian diplomat discovered in a restaurant meeting a Norwegian national suspected of spying for Moscow. Russia responded by expelling a Norwegian envoy.
The two countries, which share a common border in the Arctic, have generally enjoyed good relations but those have become strained since Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-13--Belarus Opposition Leader Gives Lukashenko Ultimatum to Resign

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , who maintains she was the true winner of an Aug. 9 election , issued what she said was a `` people 's ultimatum , '' demanding Lukashenko quit power by Oct. 25 and halt the `` state terror '' unleashed by authorities against peaceful protesters .
Belarus 's exiled opposition leader on Tuesday gave strongman President Alexander Lukashenko a deadline of two weeks to resign , halt violence and release political prisoners , warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike .
`` If our demands are not met by Oct. 25 , the whole country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said in a statement released in Lithuania , where she is currently based in exile after leaving Belarus following the election .
`` And on Oct. 26 a nationwide strike will begin at all enterprises , all roads will be blocked , and sales at state stores will collapse , '' she said .
`` You have 13 days . ''
Unprecedented protests broke out after Lukashenko claimed victory in August elections over Tikhanovskaya , a 38-year-old political novice whose husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was planning to challenge Lukashenko in the elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past weeks riot police detained thousands of demonstrators who have reported torture and abuse in custody , prompting international condemnation and Western sanctions .
Several people have died in the crackdown .
On Monday , the ex-Soviet country 's interior ministry threatened to fire on protesters , marking a major escalation in the two-month standoff between Lukashenko and demonstrators .
Tikhanovskaya said on Tuesday it was time for Belarusians to take a side after the authorities unleashed `` state terror . ''
`` Everyone who has not yet made the decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an accessory to terror .
Declare publicly that you no longer support the regime . ''
The statement also represents a change of tone for Tikhanovskaya , who has quickly won the support of western leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
At the weekend Belarus authorities allowed Tikhanovskaya to speak to her jailed husband , who advised his wife she should get `` tougher '' on the authorities .
All key Lukashenko critics have been either jailed or pushed out of the country , including Tikhanovskaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Lithuania .
Separately , worker Sergei Dylevsky , the last member of the opposition 's Coordination Council still in Belarus , has left the country and is now in Warsaw , the group said .
Allies of Tikhanovskaya have formed the Coordination Council to oversee efforts for a peaceful transition of power from Lukashenko .
Its members include Nobel Prize-winning author and outspoken Lukashenko critic Svetlana Alexievich , who has left Belarus for treatment in Germany .
At the weekend Lukashenko held a highly unusual meeting in prison with his jailed critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once seen as the strongman 's toughest rival in the elections .
After the meeting authorities released from jail and moved to house arrest two entrepreneurs with links to the opposition , including Dmitry Rabtsevich , head of the Minsk office of software company PandaDoc .
On Tuesday , rights group Viasna said that two other PandaDoc employees had been released from jail under a pledge not to leave the city .
A fourth employee of the software company remains in jail .
Many Belarusian IT sector employees have openly supported and participated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by communication through social media .

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who maintains she was the true winner of an Aug. 9 election, issued what she said was a "people's ultimatum," demanding Lukashenko quit power by Oct. 25 and halt the "state terror" unleashed by authorities against peaceful protesters.
Belarus's exiled opposition leader on Tuesday gave strongman President Alexander Lukashenko a deadline of two weeks to resign, halt violence and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike.
"If our demands are not met by Oct. 25, the whole country will peacefully take to the streets," she said in a statement released in Lithuania, where she is currently based in exile after leaving Belarus following the election.
"And on Oct. 26 a nationwide strike will begin at all enterprises, all roads will be blocked, and sales at state stores will collapse," she said. "You have 13 days."
Unprecedented protests broke out after Lukashenko claimed victory in August elections over Tikhanovskaya, a 38-year-old political novice whose husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was planning to challenge Lukashenko in the elections but was then himself jailed.
Over the past weeks riot police detained thousands of demonstrators who have reported torture and abuse in custody, prompting international condemnation and Western sanctions. Several people have died in the crackdown.
'State terror'
On Monday, the ex-Soviet country's interior ministry threatened to fire on protesters, marking a major escalation in the two-month standoff between Lukashenko and demonstrators.
Tikhanovskaya said on Tuesday it was time for Belarusians to take a side after the authorities unleashed "state terror."
"Everyone who has not yet made the decision to switch to the side of the people is an accessory to terror. Declare publicly that you no longer support the regime."
The statement also represents a change of tone for Tikhanovskaya, who has quickly won the support of western leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
At the weekend Belarus authorities allowed Tikhanovskaya to speak to her jailed husband, who advised his wife she should get "tougher" on the authorities.
All key Lukashenko critics have been either jailed or pushed out of the country, including Tikhanovskaya, who was granted refuge by EU member Lithuania.
Another critic leaves
Separately, worker Sergei Dylevsky, the last member of the opposition's Coordination Council still in Belarus, has left the country and is now in Warsaw, the group said.
Allies of Tikhanovskaya have formed the Coordination Council to oversee efforts for a peaceful transition of power from Lukashenko.
Its members include Nobel Prize-winning author and outspoken Lukashenko critic Svetlana Alexievich, who has left Belarus for treatment in Germany.
At the weekend Lukashenko held a highly unusual meeting in prison with his jailed critics, including Viktor Babaryko, a banker once seen as the strongman's toughest rival in the elections.
After the meeting authorities released from jail and moved to house arrest two entrepreneurs with links to the opposition, including Dmitry Rabtsevich, head of the Minsk office of software company PandaDoc.
On Tuesday, rights group Viasna said that two other PandaDoc employees had been released from jail under a pledge not to leave the city. A fourth employee of the software company remains in jail.
Many Belarusian IT sector employees have openly supported and participated in the anti-Lukashenko protests, themselves fuelled by communication through social media.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-13--Kyrgyz President Asks Parliament to Vote Again on PM Amid Crisis

Embattled president Jeenbekov met Japarov and said he would not approve his appointment , citing doubts that rules were adhered to during a vote by lawmakers , a statement by the presidential administration said .
Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Tuesday asked parliament to vote again on a new prime minister after MPs backed Sadyr Japarov , a nationalist politician recently freed from jail by supporters .
It came shortly after a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Central Asian state for talks aimed at resolving the political crisis .
Japarov was serving jail time for hostage-taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a night of political mayhem last week along with other imprisoned politicians .
MPs voted for him to become acting prime minister on Saturday , but several lawmakers have raised concerns about the session that endorsed Japarov and his cabinet , citing a lack of quorum .
`` To maintain and strengthen stability in the country , all our decisions must be legitimate and not be questioned , '' Jeenbekov was quoted as saying in the statement .
Over 1,200 people were injured and one killed in violent protests that broke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition and observers reported widespread buying of votes by parties close to Jeenbekov .
The results of the poll were annulled in the wake of the violence and Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital Bishkek .
On Friday he offered to resign as president once order was restored and a new government formed .
Japarov has said he expects Jeenbekov to step down .
It was not clear when parliament would vote on a new prime minister .
Putin 's deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak visited the ex-Soviet state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Japarov , a statement on the Kyrgyz president 's website said .
Kozak came `` on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin , '' it said , while giving no details of what was discussed .
The visit was Moscow 's first visible intervention in the crisis after post-vote protests grew into clashes , paralysing the central government as rival groups jockeyed for power .
Unrest in Kyrgyzstan has worried its ally Russia , coming as post-election protests rock ex-Soviet neighbor Belarus and clashes continue over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.5 million people , has had two presidents overthrown by street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 .

Embattled president Jeenbekov met Japarov and said he would not approve his appointment, citing doubts that rules were adhered to during a vote by lawmakers, a statement by the presidential administration said.
Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Tuesday asked parliament to vote again on a new prime minister after MPs backed Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist politician recently freed from jail by supporters.
It came shortly after a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Central Asian state for talks aimed at resolving the political crisis.
Japarov was serving jail time for hostage-taking and other crimes until he was freed in a night of political mayhem last week along with other imprisoned politicians.
MPs voted for him to become acting prime minister on Saturday, but several lawmakers have raised concerns about the session that endorsed Japarov and his cabinet, citing a lack of quorum.
"To maintain and strengthen stability in the country, all our decisions must be legitimate and not be questioned," Jeenbekov was quoted as saying in the statement.
Over 1,200 people were injured and one killed in violent protests that broke out after Oct. 4 parliamentary polls.
The opposition and observers reported widespread buying of votes by parties close to Jeenbekov.
The results of the poll were annulled in the wake of the violence and Jeenbekov declared a state of emergency in the capital Bishkek.
On Friday he offered to resign as president once order was restored and a new government formed.
Japarov has said he expects Jeenbekov to step down.
It was not clear when parliament would vote on a new prime minister.
Putin's deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak visited the ex-Soviet state on Monday, meeting both President Jeenbekov and Japarov, a statement on the Kyrgyz president's website said.
Kozak came "on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin," it said, while giving no details of what was discussed.
The visit was Moscow's first visible intervention in the crisis after post-vote protests grew into clashes, paralysing the central government as rival groups jockeyed for power.
Unrest in Kyrgyzstan has worried its ally Russia, coming as post-election protests rock ex-Soviet neighbor Belarus and clashes continue over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked republic of 6.5 million people, has had two presidents overthrown by street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russia Approves 2nd Coronavirus Vaccine – Putin

“ Novosibirsk ’ s Vektor [ State Virology and Biotechnology Center ] has registered the second Russian coronavirus vaccine today , ” Putin said via televised video conference .
Russia has approved its second coronavirus vaccine , President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday as the peptide-based shot developed by a Siberian biotech company readies for large-scale trials .
Putin said that Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and the head of Russia ’ s consumer safety watchdog Anna Popova have both received the EpiVacCorona vaccine as part of clinical trials .
Early trials on 100 volunteers were said to have been successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of EpiVacCorona will involve 40,000 volunteers across Russia .
Vektor plans to produce the first 60,000 doses of EpiVacCorona “ in the nearest future , ” she added .
Health officials have so far declined to answer questions about EpiVacCorona ’ s initial trial results or the approval process , saying that they were reviewing the vaccine for safety and quality .
Golikova added during the video conference that a third candidate coronavirus vaccine will receive government approval sometime in December .
Vektor is a former Soviet bioweapons research lab and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention , is one of two sites in the world that house smallpox stockpiles .
Vektor also houses Ebola samples .
Putin approved Russia ’ s first Covid-19 vaccine , named Sputnik V in a nod to the Soviet launch of the world 's first satellite , on Aug. 11 .
Sputnik V began large-scale trials on 40,000 volunteers in September .
Its developer , the Moscow-based Gamaleya research center , is expected to wrap up the Phase 3 trials sometime around summer 2021 .
Russia is the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a total of 1,340,409 cases .
It has seen its number of new infections more than double within a month and set single-day records in each of the past six days .
On Wednesday , Russia confirmed more than 14,000 new cases for the first time since the start of its outbreak in the spring .

“Novosibirsk’s Vektor [State Virology and Biotechnology Center] has registered the second Russian coronavirus vaccine today,” Putin said via televised video conference.
Russia has approved its second coronavirus vaccine, President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday as the peptide-based shot developed by a Siberian biotech company readies for large-scale trials.
Putin said that Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and the head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog Anna Popova have both received the EpiVacCorona vaccine as part of clinical trials.
Early trials on 100 volunteers were said to have been successful.
Golikova told Putin that post-registration trials of EpiVacCorona will involve 40,000 volunteers across Russia. Vektor plans to produce the first 60,000 doses of EpiVacCorona “in the nearest future,” she added.
Health officials have so far declined to answer questions about EpiVacCorona’s initial trial results or the approval process, saying that they were reviewing the vaccine for safety and quality.
Golikova added during the video conference that a third candidate coronavirus vaccine will receive government approval sometime in December.
Vektor is a former Soviet bioweapons research lab and, in addition to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is one of two sites in the world that house smallpox stockpiles. Vektor also houses Ebola samples.
Putin approved Russia’s first Covid-19 vaccine, named Sputnik V in a nod to the Soviet launch of the world's first satellite, on Aug. 11. Sputnik V began large-scale trials on 40,000 volunteers in September. Its developer, the Moscow-based Gamaleya research center, is expected to wrap up the Phase 3 trials sometime around summer 2021.
Russia is the world’s fourth-most affected country by the coronavirus pandemic with a total of 1,340,409 cases.
It has seen its number of new infections more than double within a month and set single-day records in each of the past six days. On Wednesday, Russia confirmed more than 14,000 new cases for the first time since the start of its outbreak in the spring.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russia Returns to UN Human Rights Council After 4-year Absence

Comprising 47 member states elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term , the HRC is responsible for addressing human rights violations and promoting the human rights agenda across the globe .
Russia has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council ( HRC ) following a four-year absence , Moscow ’ s mission to the UN in Geneva announced Wednesday .
“ We are back and ready for constructive cooperative work , ” the Russian Mission to the UN in Geneva ’ s announcement said .
Russia will fill one of the council ’ s 15 vacant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it received 158 votes of approval from UN member states .
The appointment of countries like China , Russia and Cuba to the HRC has been met with criticism from Western governments and human rights activists , who say that these countries ’ rights records blemish the HRC ’ s credibility .
The Human Rights Watch NGO had advocated against Russia ’ s appointment to the council prior to the vote , pointing to its alleged record of war crimes in the Syrian conflict .
Most recently , the Russian government came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition leader Alexei Navalny , which , according to Navalny , was carried out on the Kremlin ’ s orders .
“ Members of the @ UN Human Rights Council must ‘ uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.
’ If this is to have any meaning , the worst abusers should not be given a seal of approval , ” Vladimir Kara-Murza , a Russian opposition activist and journalist who has been poisoned twice , tweeted Tuesday .
The United States , which withdrew from the HRC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the council .
“ Today the UN General Assembly once again elected countries with abhorrent human rights records , including China , Russia and Cuba , ” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement .
“ These elections only further validate the U.S. decision to withdraw and use other venues and opportunities to protect and promote universal human rights .
”

Comprising 47 member states elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term, the HRC is responsible for addressing human rights violations and promoting the human rights agenda across the globe.
Russia has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) following a four-year absence, Moscow’s mission to the UN in Geneva announced Wednesday.
“We are back and ready for constructive cooperative work,” the Russian Mission to the UN in Geneva’s announcement said.
Russia will fill one of the council’s 15 vacant seats starting Jan. 1, 2021, after it received 158 votes of approval from UN member states.
The appointment of countries like China, Russia and Cuba to the HRC has been met with criticism from Western governments and human rights activists, who say that these countries’ rights records blemish the HRC’s credibility.
The Human Rights Watch NGO had advocated against Russia’s appointment to the council prior to the vote, pointing to its alleged record of war crimes in the Syrian conflict.
Most recently, the Russian government came under international pressure over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which, according to Navalny, was carried out on the Kremlin’s orders.
“Members of the @UN Human Rights Council must ‘uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.’ If this is to have any meaning, the worst abusers should not be given a seal of approval,” Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition activist and journalist who has been poisoned twice, tweeted Tuesday.
The United States, which withdrew from the HRC in 2018, slammed the latest appointments to the council.
“Today the UN General Assembly once again elected countries with abhorrent human rights records, including China, Russia and Cuba,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “These elections only further validate the U.S. decision to withdraw and use other venues and opportunities to protect and promote universal human rights.”


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russia to Resume Flights With Japan, Cuba and Serbia

From Nov. 1 , airports in Moscow will be able to operate two flights per week to Tokyo , Belgrade and the Cuban islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria .
Russia plans to resume flights to Japan , Serbia and Cuba starting next month , the country ’ s coronavirus crisis center announced Wednesday .
One weekly flight will operate from Russia ’ s Pacific port city of Vladivostok to Tokyo , the crisis center said .
The crisis center has also increased the number of flights and destinations to Switzerland — which has reimposed a 10-day quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Arab Emirates , the Maldives and Belarus .
Russia grounded most international flights and introduced entry restrictions for foreign nationals in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
Since then , Russia has restored air travel with Britain , South Korea , Turkey , Egypt , Tanzania and Central Asian neighbors Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan .
Russia is the world ’ s fourth-most affected country by the coronavirus with a total of 1,340,409 cases .
It has seen its number of new Covid-19 cases more than double within a month and set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six days .
On Wednesday , it confirmed more than 14,000 new infections for the first time since the start of the pandemic .

From Nov. 1, airports in Moscow will be able to operate two flights per week to Tokyo, Belgrade and the Cuban islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria.
Russia plans to resume flights to Japan, Serbia and Cuba starting next month, the country’s coronavirus crisis center announced Wednesday.
One weekly flight will operate from Russia’s Pacific port city of Vladivostok to Tokyo, the crisis center said.
The crisis center has also increased the number of flights and destinations to Switzerland — which has reimposed a 10-day quarantine for arriving Russians this week — the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives and Belarus.
Russia grounded most international flights and introduced entry restrictions for foreign nationals in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since then, Russia has restored air travel with Britain, South Korea, Turkey, Egypt, Tanzania and Central Asian neighbors Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Russia is the world’s fourth-most affected country by the coronavirus with a total of 1,340,409 cases.
It has seen its number of new Covid-19 cases more than double within a month and set single-day records in each of the past six days. On Wednesday, it confirmed more than 14,000 new infections for the first time since the start of the pandemic.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--New Crew Reaches ISS in Record Time

New Crew Reaches ISS in Record Time

The mission of the Soyuz space craft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut was of immense importance to Russia 's space agency Roscosmos , coming as the SpaceX program relaunches manned spaceflight from the United States and ignites fresh talk of a space race between the two countries .
A three-person crew successfully reached the International Space Station on Wednesday aboard a Russian rocket after the fastest ever journey from Earth of just over three hours .
Roscosmos said `` a new record for flights to the International Space Station was set — the total time from launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three hours and three minutes . ''
Roscosmos has had the job of ferrying U.S. astronauts to the ISS since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 .
Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos and NASA 's Kathleen Rubins launched from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:45 a.m. GMT Wednesday .
Journeys to the ISS usually take around six hours — a time that was a vast improvement on the two-day flights that prevailed prior to 2013 .
Wednesday 's manned journey even beat the fastest time for missions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only an unmanned Progress cargo space ship has previously used this profile which requires just two orbits before docking .
The launch is sandwiched between two SpaceX missions — the first manned spaceflights to the ISS under NASA 's aegis since 2011 .
Before May 30 , when U.S. astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley arrived at the ISS courtesy of cars to rockets tycoon Elon Musk , Russia and Baikonur had enjoyed a lucrative monopoly on manned missions to the ISS .
But their Dragon Endeavor craft only docked successfully with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The NASA duo returned safely on Aug. 2 and a fresh SpaceX launch , this time anticipating a full-length half-year mission to the space station , is expected next month .
The emergence of private players SpaceX and Boeing — part of NASA 's Commercial Crew Program — has fueled talk of a new `` space race '' between a number of countries .
But the men and women who fly to the space station play down talk of competition and focus instead on space travel 's ability to bring rival nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a pre-launch press conference on Tuesday , Rubins did not directly reference the SpaceX flight when asked how she felt to be on board during a new era in space exploration .
`` We do n't get to choose our launch date or what occurs on station but certainly I feel incredibly lucky to be on station when ... these events are happening , '' said the American astronaut , who was celebrating her 42nd birthday on Wednesday .
Stringent precautions , including tighter quarantine and mask-wearing before launch , have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the astronauts and space officials rejected any concerns about a risk of infection on the ISS .
`` We have a very strict quarantine , almost from March by my perception , '' said Rubins , a microbiologist who researched the deadly Ebola virus before she began training as an astronaut .
Ryzhikov , a 46-year-old former military pilot , has spent 173 days in space compared to Rubins ' 115 while Kud-Sverchkov , 37 , is flying for the first time .
On the eve of the launch , Ryzhikov expressed sadness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he hoped the example of the ISS could help `` spread love , friendship and comradeship . ''
The ISS , which has been permanently occupied since 2000 , has been a rare example of cooperation between Moscow and Washington .
Rogozin on Monday said he did not envisage Moscow participating `` on a large scale '' in a NASA-led Moon-orbiting station known as The Gateway .
The proposed new station `` is too U.S.-centric '' Rogozin said .
The Russian space program has suffered a series of reverses in recent years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocket in 2018 just minutes after blast-off — the first such incident in the history of post-Soviet space travel .
The two astronauts on board were not hurt .

The mission of the Soyuz space craft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut was of immense importance to Russia's space agency Roscosmos, coming as the SpaceX program relaunches manned spaceflight from the United States and ignites fresh talk of a space race between the two countries.
A three-person crew successfully reached the International Space Station on Wednesday aboard a Russian rocket after the fastest ever journey from Earth of just over three hours.
Roscosmos said "a new record for flights to the International Space Station was set — the total time from launch to docking of the Soyuz MS-17 was three hours and three minutes."
Roscosmos has had the job of ferrying U.S. astronauts to the ISS since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.
Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos and NASA's Kathleen Rubins launched from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:45 a.m. GMT Wednesday.
Journeys to the ISS usually take around six hours — a time that was a vast improvement on the two-day flights that prevailed prior to 2013.
Wednesday's manned journey even beat the fastest time for missions just carrying supplies to the station.
Only an unmanned Progress cargo space ship has previously used this profile which requires just two orbits before docking.
'Incredibly lucky'
The launch is sandwiched between two SpaceX missions — the first manned spaceflights to the ISS under NASA's aegis since 2011.
Before May 30, when U.S. astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley arrived at the ISS courtesy of cars to rockets tycoon Elon Musk, Russia and Baikonur had enjoyed a lucrative monopoly on manned missions to the ISS.
But their Dragon Endeavor craft only docked successfully with the ISS about 19 hours after reaching orbit.
The NASA duo returned safely on Aug. 2 and a fresh SpaceX launch, this time anticipating a full-length half-year mission to the space station, is expected next month.
The emergence of private players SpaceX and Boeing — part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program — has fueled talk of a new "space race" between a number of countries.
But the men and women who fly to the space station play down talk of competition and focus instead on space travel's ability to bring rival nations together for a common cause.
Speaking at a pre-launch press conference on Tuesday, Rubins did not directly reference the SpaceX flight when asked how she felt to be on board during a new era in space exploration.
"We don't get to choose our launch date or what occurs on station but certainly I feel incredibly lucky to be on station when... these events are happening," said the American astronaut, who was celebrating her 42nd birthday on Wednesday.
Stringent precautions, including tighter quarantine and mask-wearing before launch, have been taken due to the coronavirus pandemic but the astronauts and space officials rejected any concerns about a risk of infection on the ISS.
"We have a very strict quarantine, almost from March by my perception," said Rubins, a microbiologist who researched the deadly Ebola virus before she began training as an astronaut.
'Too U.S.-centric'
Ryzhikov, a 46-year-old former military pilot, has spent 173 days in space compared to Rubins' 115 while Kud-Sverchkov, 37, is flying for the first time.
On the eve of the launch, Ryzhikov expressed sadness over ongoing fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and said he hoped the example of the ISS could help "spread love, friendship and comradeship."
The ISS, which has been permanently occupied since 2000, has been a rare example of cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
Rogozin on Monday said he did not envisage Moscow participating "on a large scale" in a NASA-led Moon-orbiting station known as The Gateway.
The proposed new station "is too U.S.-centric" Rogozin said.
The Russian space program has suffered a series of reverses in recent years, most notably the failure of a Soyuz rocket in 2018 just minutes after blast-off — the first such incident in the history of post-Soviet space travel. The two astronauts on board were not hurt.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--EU Agrees Russia Sanctions Over Navalny Poisoning

Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved sanctions after France and Germany proposed measures last week , saying Russia was responsible for the poisoning .
The EU on Wednesday agreed to impose sanctions on six people and one entity over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny with a Novichok nerve agent , diplomats told AFP .
In line with usual EU practice , those targeted by the sanctions — travel bans and asset freezes — will not be named until the measures take legal effect on Thursday , but they are likely to be Russian officials .
Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to target individuals `` based on their official function '' and an entity `` involved in the Novichok program . ''
European powers have repeatedly asked Moscow to investigate the poisoning , which took place on Russian soil , but in a joint statement last week the French and German foreign ministers said the Kremlin had come up with `` no credible explanation . ''
The move to punish Russia came after the UN 's chemical weapons watchdog OPCW confirmed Germany , France and Sweden 's finding that Navalny was poisoned by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A poison from the same group was used to attack former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018 — an incident that prompted the EU to sanction four members of the Kremlin 's military intelligence .
The latest measures were signed off politically by EU foreign ministers on Monday , a move hailed by Germany 's Heiko Maas .
`` I believe it is of paramount importance in the light of such a serious crime — a violation of international law and the chemical weapons convention — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has done so today , '' he said .
EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell pressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Navalny case during phone talks on Tuesday .
Borrell 's office said he called for Moscow to `` do its utmost to investigate this crime thoroughly in full transparency '' and cooperate with the OPCW .

Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved sanctions after France and Germany proposed measures last week, saying Russia was responsible for the poisoning.
The EU on Wednesday agreed to impose sanctions on six people and one entity over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny with a Novichok nerve agent, diplomats told AFP.
In line with usual EU practice, those targeted by the sanctions — travel bans and asset freezes — will not be named until the measures take legal effect on Thursday, but they are likely to be Russian officials.
Paris and Berlin said last week they wanted to target individuals "based on their official function" and an entity "involved in the Novichok program."
European powers have repeatedly asked Moscow to investigate the poisoning, which took place on Russian soil, but in a joint statement last week the French and German foreign ministers said the Kremlin had come up with "no credible explanation."
The move to punish Russia came after the UN's chemical weapons watchdog OPCW confirmed Germany, France and Sweden's finding that Navalny was poisoned by a nerve agent of the Soviet-developed Novichok group.
A poison from the same group was used to attack former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018 — an incident that prompted the EU to sanction four members of the Kremlin's military intelligence.
The latest measures were signed off politically by EU foreign ministers on Monday, a move hailed by Germany's Heiko Maas.
"I believe it is of paramount importance in the light of such a serious crime — a violation of international law and the chemical weapons convention — that the European Union shows unity, and it has done so today," he said.
EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell pressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Navalny case during phone talks on Tuesday.
Borrell's office said he called for Moscow to "do its utmost to investigate this crime thoroughly in full transparency" and cooperate with the OPCW.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russian Peacekeepers Should Monitor Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire – Lavrov

Russia ’ s top diplomat made the proposal as new fighting erupted between the Caucasus rivals despite a truce that they reached in Moscow over the weekend .
Russian peacekeepers should be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh to observe a shaky Moscow-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan , Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday .
According to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency , Lavrov said that a peacekeeping force is needed to observe the ceasefire .
“ Not even peacekeepers , but military observers would be enough , ” Lavrov told Russian radio stations in an interview , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe it would be absolutely correct if they were our [ Russian ] military observers ” but the final decision would be up to Baku and Yerevan , he said .
Lavrov said he had sent signals to his Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues that their militaries need to meet to agree on a mechanism to monitor and enforce the Moscow ceasefire agreement .
More than two weeks of fighting between the Caucasus rivals has left almost 600 dead , including 73 civilians , according to a tally based on partial tolls from both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , overwhelmingly populated by Armenians , has been controlled by Armenians since a 1990s war that erupted as the Soviet Union fell .
The latest fighting that broke out on Sept. 27 has been the most intense flare-up since a 1994 ceasefire ended the initial post-Soviet war .
The search for a long-term solution to the conflict , one of the most enduring problems left after the fall of the Soviet Union , is in the hands of the Minsk Group of regional powers chaired by France , Russia and the United States @

Russia’s top diplomat made the proposal as new fighting erupted between the Caucasus rivals despite a truce that they reached in Moscow over the weekend.
Russian peacekeepers should be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh to observe a shaky Moscow-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
According to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, Lavrov said that a peacekeeping force is needed to observe the ceasefire.
“Not even peacekeepers, but military observers would be enough,” Lavrov told Russian radio stations in an interview, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
“We believe it would be absolutely correct if they were our [Russian] military observers” but the final decision would be up to Baku and Yerevan, he said.
Lavrov said he had sent signals to his Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues that their militaries need to meet to agree on a mechanism to monitor and enforce the Moscow ceasefire agreement.
More than two weeks of fighting between the Caucasus rivals has left almost 600 dead, including 73 civilians, according to a tally based on partial tolls from both sides.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, overwhelmingly populated by Armenians, has been controlled by Armenians since a 1990s war that erupted as the Soviet Union fell.
The latest fighting that broke out on Sept. 27 has been the most intense flare-up since a 1994 ceasefire ended the initial post-Soviet war.
The search for a long-term solution to the conflict, one of the most enduring problems left after the fall of the Soviet Union, is in the hands of the Minsk Group of regional powers chaired by France, Russia and the United States.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Moscow Schools to Partially Return to Classes to Contain Virus – Mayor

Moscow authorities had extended the traditional weeklong fall school break by a week in an effort to prevent children from contracting and spreading the coronavirus , which has seen record increases in recent days .
First to fifth-grade students in Moscow will return to classrooms next week following a two-week recess aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Wednesday .
“ The measure has proven to be effective .
The portion of children among the infected has decreased from 19 to 11 % in recent days , ” Sobyanin said in a statement on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who account for two-thirds of reported infections among children , will continue to attend classes remotely until the end of the month , Sobyanin said .
State-owned supplementary education centers and recreational facilities for children of all age groups will remain closed until Nov. 1 .
The government had suspended schoolchildren ’ s public-transport discounts during the holiday period and will keep this measure in place for students remaining on remote learning .
Sobyanin also announced plans to introduce a tutoring model in some classrooms .
Student teachers and recent teaching graduates will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remote supervision of more experienced teachers deemed to be at increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19 .
Russia has been reporting a growing number of new Covid-19 cases since September , with a new all-time record of 14,231 new cases set on Wednesday .
According to information obtained by the Vedomosti business daily , Moscow authorities will consider tightening existing restrictions if daily infection numbers continue to rise .
Possible measures may include a digital pass system and even a return to full lockdown .

Moscow authorities had extended the traditional weeklong fall school break by a week in an effort to prevent children from contracting and spreading the coronavirus, which has seen record increases in recent days.
First to fifth-grade students in Moscow will return to classrooms next week following a two-week recess aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Wednesday.
“The measure has proven to be effective. The portion of children among the infected has decreased from 19 to 11% in recent days,” Sobyanin said in a statement on his website.
Students in grades 6-11, who account for two-thirds of reported infections among children, will continue to attend classes remotely until the end of the month, Sobyanin said.
State-owned supplementary education centers and recreational facilities for children of all age groups will remain closed until Nov. 1.
The government had suspended schoolchildren’s public-transport discounts during the holiday period and will keep this measure in place for students remaining on remote learning.
Sobyanin also announced plans to introduce a tutoring model in some classrooms. Student teachers and recent teaching graduates will be invited to teach in classrooms under the remote supervision of more experienced teachers deemed to be at increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
Russia has been reporting a growing number of new Covid-19 cases since September, with a new all-time record of 14,231 new cases set on Wednesday.
According to information obtained by the Vedomosti business daily, Moscow authorities will consider tightening existing restrictions if daily infection numbers continue to rise. Possible measures may include a digital pass system and even a return to full lockdown.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-14--Russia’s New Coronavirus Cases Cross 14K in New One-Day Record

Russia has broken its record for new coronavirus infections for the sixth day in a row as authorities grapple with a second wave that has pushed hospitals to near-capacity .
This is the first time that Russia has confirmed more than 14,000 infections in a single day .
One-quarter of the new infections are asymptomatic , according to the information center .
Health officials say 90 % of Russia ’ s 176,000 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied , prompting some hospitals across the country to stop admitting patients with other illnesses .
Russia is the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,340,409 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic .
A total of 239 people have died from Covid-19 , a slight decrease from Tuesday ’ s record of 244 fatalities .
Russia ’ s official death toll stands at 23,205 , a figure that the federal statistics agency which publishes monthly data says is at least half the real number of fatalities .
Moscow , the epicenter of Russia ’ s coronavirus outbreak , confirmed 4,573 cases Wednesday , 1,206 of whom have been hospitalized .
Its mayor , who had ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remote work and reimposed distance learning for some students , has urged residents to take precautions to avoid tighter restrictions .
Around half of Russia ’ s regions have reinstated various restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of the infection .

Russia has broken its record for new coronavirus infections for the sixth day in a row as authorities grapple with a second wave that has pushed hospitals to near-capacity.
This is the first time that Russia has confirmed more than 14,000 infections in a single day.
One-quarter of the new infections are asymptomatic, according to the information center.
Health officials say 90% of Russia’s 176,000 hospital beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied, prompting some hospitals across the country to stop admitting patients with other illnesses.
Russia is the world’s fourth-most affected country with a total of 1,340,409 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.
A total of 239 people have died from Covid-19, a slight decrease from Tuesday’s record of 244 fatalities. Russia’s official death toll stands at 23,205, a figure that the federal statistics agency which publishes monthly data says is at least half the real number of fatalities.
Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 4,573 cases Wednesday, 1,206 of whom have been hospitalized. Its mayor, who had ordered businesses to switch one-third of their workforces to remote work and reimposed distance learning for some students, has urged residents to take precautions to avoid tighter restrictions.
Around half of Russia’s regions have reinstated various restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of the infection.