themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Iran Likely Downed Ukraine Airliner With Missiles, Canada's Trudeau Says

Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa that the destruction of the airliner `` may well have been unintentional . ''
The flight was on its way to Kiev from Tehran early on Wednesday , with 63 Canadians among the passengers and crew .
A Ukraine airliner that crashed in Iran , killing all 176 people aboard , was likely brought down by an Iranian missile , Canada 's prime minister , Justin Trudeau , said on Thursday , citing intelligence from Canadian and other sources .
`` We have intelligence from multiple sources , including our allies and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile , '' he said .
The crash of the Ukraine International Airlines plane occurred shortly after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq , and Iranians were on high alert for a U.S. military response .
Earlier on Thursday , a U.S. official , citing an extensive review of satellite data , said Washington had concluded with a high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane .
The official said the Boeing 737-800 had been tracked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane was most likely brought down accidentally , two U.S. officials said .
The data showed the plane was airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected , one of the officials said .
That was quickly followed by an explosion in the vicinity of the plane , this official said .
Heat signature data then showed it on fire as it went down .
Iran 's head of civil aviation denied reports that Iran was to blame as `` illogical rumors . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a missile hit the Ukrainian plane , and such rumors are illogical , '' the semi-official ISNA News Agency quoted Ali Abedzadeh as saying .
Speaking to reporters at the White House , U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a terrible feeling about the downed airliner , but offered no details .
He said he did not believe it was a mechanical issue .
`` It 's a tragic thing .
But somebody could have made a mistake — on the other side , '' Trump said .
The U.S. Federal Aviation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the airspace over Iraq , Iran , the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the hours after Iran 's attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq .
Several other airlines also diverted flights .
Boeing and the FAA declined to comment on the missile reports on Thursday , as did the Pentagon .
Spokeswomen for Ukraine 's president and prime minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Boeing is still reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes in five months that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 2019 .
The 737-800 that crashed was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX .
Boeing has built about 5,000 of those planes , which have a good safety record .

The destruction of the airliner, which carried 63 Canadians, "may well have been unintentional," Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa.
A Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran, killing all 176 people aboard, was likely brought down by an Iranian missile, Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said Thursday, citing intelligence from Canadian and other sources.
The New York Times said it had obtained and verified a video that appeared to show an Iranian missile hitting a plane near Tehran airport.
That was quickly followed by an explosion in the vicinity of the plane, the official said. Heat signature data then showed it on fire as it went down. Heat signatures are infrared emissions detected by U.S. military satellites.
The data showed the plane was airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected, one of the officials said.
The U.S. government believes Iran shot down the plane by mistake, three U.S. officials told Reuters.
Earlier on Thursday, a U.S. official, citing an extensive review of satellite data, said Washington had concluded with a high degree of certainty that anti-aircraft missiles brought down the plane. The official said the Boeing 737-800 had been tracked by Iranian radar.
Trudeau said his government would not rest until it had obtained closure, transparency, accountability and justice.
The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev from Tehran crashed on Wednesday hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq, and Iranians were on high alert for a U.S. military response.
"We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence. The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," he said.
'Psychological warfare'
Iran denied that the airliner had been hit by a missile.
"All these reports are a psychological warfare against Iran ... all those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box," government spokesman Ali Rabiei said in a statement.
An initial report issued by Iran's civil aviation organisation on Thursday said the 3-year-old airliner, which had its last scheduled maintenance on Monday, encountered a technical problem shortly after takeoff and started to head toward a nearby airport before it crashed.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not believe the crash of the airliner was due to a mechanical issue.
"It's a tragic thing. But somebody could have made a mistake — on the other side," Trump said.
Riki Ellison, a defense expert and founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said the radar signature of a Boeing airliner would have been quite similar to a large U.S. military transport plane.
"They (the Iranians) were on full alert to shoot down anything that resembled a U.S. aircraft. Somebody made a mistake by identifying it as a warplane," Ellison said.
Once the missiles were fired, it would have been impossible to divert them, even if the ground operators realized their error, he said. "Once you shoot those things, it's over."
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen since Trump ordered the U.S. drone killing of a top Iranian general on Friday. Trump has refrained from ordering more military action and Iran's foreign minister said the strikes on Iraqi bases that house U.S. forces had "concluded" Tehran's response.
Technical problem
Investigations into airliner crashes require regulators, experts and companies across several international jurisdictions to work together. It can take months to fully determine the cause and issuing an initial report within 24 hours is rare.
The Ukrainian airliner took off at 6:12 a.m. and was given permission to climb to 26,000 feet (7,925 meters), Iran's report said. It crashed six minutes later near the town of Sabashahr.
There was no radio communication from the pilot and the aircraft disappeared from radar at 8,000 feet (2,440 m), the report said.
Bodies and body parts recovered from the site of the crash were taken to the coroner's office for identification, it said.
Smoldering debris, including shoes and clothes, was strewn across a field where the plane crashed. Rescue workers in face masks laid out scores of body bags.
Ukraine had outlined four potential scenarios to explain the crash, including a missile strike and terrorism. Kiev said its investigators wanted to search the crash site for possible debris of a Russian-made missile used by Iran's military.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it had been invited by Iran to the accident site and was making travel arrangements.
Iran has formally invited the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to take part in its investigation and the agency has agreed to assign an investigator, an Iranian official told Reuters.
The NTSB said it had designated an accredited representative to the investigation. "The NTSB continues to monitor the situation surrounding the crash and evaluate its level of participation in the investigation," it said in a statement.
Boeing said it would support the NTSB in the investigation. The company is still reeling from two deadly crashes of 737 MAX planes in five months that led to the plane's grounding in March 2019. The 737-800 that crashed was built in 2016 and is the prior generation of the 737 before the MAX. Boeing has built about 5,000 of those planes, which have a good safety record.
The FAA had banned U.S. carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the hours after Iran's attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq. Several other airlines also diverted flights.
OPSGROUP, which advises airlines on safety matters, said that after the comments from Trudeau and U.S. officials pointing to a missile downing, some flights inbound to Tehran were turned around and diverted. The group advised operators not to fly to airports in Iraq or Iran and said traffic flow over the countries had greatly declined in the past 48 hours.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Lawmakers Ask Pro-Russian Leader in Breakaway Georgian Region to Resign After Protests

A local legislature appealed on Thursday to the leader of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia to stand down as crowds of demonstrators were contesting election results , Russian state media reported .
The state-run TASS news agency said 19 lawmakers voted for the president 's resignation , four cast their vote against it , while one abstained from the voting .
Earlier on Thursday , dozens of demonstrators broke in to the authorities ' headquarters in Abkhazia and demanded the resignation of its president of the region .
A few hundred people gathered outside the building in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital , before breaking down the door and smashing windows to get inside , pictures and footage circulated by Russian state media showed .
The isolated region of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union .
Most countries consider it a part of Georgia , but Russia recognised its independence and that of the region of South Ossetia after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008 .
Russia has troops based in Abkhazia .
Thursday 's unrest came as the authorities were set to review a call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results of his runoff against incumbent president Raul Khajimba in September .
According to the Russian media reports , Khajimba was defiant and threatened to introduce a state of emergency in the region if the situation deteriorates .
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has called the elections in Abkhazia illegitimate and a `` sham process '' that violates the country 's sovereignty .
The Russian Embassy in Abkhazia said it was following the situation .

A local legislature appealed on Thursday to the leader of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia to stand down as crowds of demonstrators were contesting election results, Russian state media reported.
The state-run TASS news agency said 19 lawmakers voted for the president's resignation, four cast their vote against it, while one abstained from the voting.
Earlier on Thursday, dozens of demonstrators broke in to the authorities' headquarters in Abkhazia and demanded the resignation of its president of the region.
A few hundred people gathered outside the building in the city of Sukhumi, the pro-Russian region's capital, before breaking down the door and smashing windows to get inside, pictures and footage circulated by Russian state media showed.
The isolated region of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most countries consider it a part of Georgia, but Russia recognised its independence and that of the region of South Ossetia after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008. Russia has troops based in Abkhazia.
Thursday's unrest came as the authorities were set to review a call by opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia to void the results of his runoff against incumbent president Raul Khajimba in September.
According to the Russian media reports, Khajimba was defiant and threatened to introduce a state of emergency in the region if the situation deteriorates.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has called the elections in Abkhazia illegitimate and a "sham process" that violates the country's sovereignty.
The Russian Embassy in Abkhazia said it was following the situation.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Russian Court Rules to Demolish Controversial Landfill

Local authorities in northern Russia ’ s Arkhangelsk region sued the company constructing the landfill at the Shiyes train station in February 2019 following months of sustained protests .
The local issue has rapidly expanded into a nationwide movement against Moscow ’ s plans to export its garbage to less populated areas .
A Russian court has ruled to demolish the landfill at the heart of a year-long battle over Moscow ’ s waste , marking a major victory for regional activists who actively opposed its construction , news outlets reported Thursday .
The Arkhangelsk region ’ s arbitration court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal and ordered its constructor to tear it down within one month , the Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported .
“ This is a happy day in Urdoma , ” lawyer Alexander Kozenkov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station , referring to his client , the nearby town whose administration won the lawsuit .
In comments to the RBC news website , Kozenkov cautioned that the judgment has not yet taken effect .
The company building the landfill , Technopark , plans to appeal the court decision , its spokesman Alexander Gryzunov told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could last into 2021 , said Yevgeny Abakumov , who heads the “ Stop Shiyes ” interregional environmental group ’ s legal department .

Local authorities in northern Russia’s Arkhangelsk region sued the company constructing the landfill at the Shiyes train station in February 2019 following months of sustained protests . The local issue has rapidly expanded into a nationwide movement against Moscow’s plans to export its garbage to less populated areas.
A Russian court has ruled to demolish the landfill at the heart of a year-long battle over Moscow’s waste, marking a major victory for regional activists who actively opposed its construction, news outlets reported Thursday.
The Arkhangelsk region’s arbitration court ruled that the construction at Shiyes is illegal and ordered its constructor to tear it down within one month, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported.
“This is a happy day in Urdoma,” lawyer Alexander Kozenkov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station, referring to his client, the nearby town whose administration won the lawsuit.
In comments to the RBC news website, Kozenkov cautioned that the judgment has not yet taken effect.
The company building the landfill, Technopark, plans to appeal the court decision, its spokesman Alexander Gryzunov told the 29.ru news website.
The appeals process could last into 2021, said Yevgeny Abakumov, who heads the “Stop Shiyes” interregional environmental group’s legal department.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Russia Extends U.S. Investor Calvey's House Arrest Through Feb. 13

A Moscow court on Thursday ruled to keep U.S. investor Michael Calvey under house arrest until Feb. 13 , facing @ @ @ @ @ TASS news agency reported .
A Baring Vostok official representative described the decision as `` @ @ @ @ @ other executives at private equity group Baring Vostok were detained in February 2019 .
They @ @ @ @ @ charges against them are being used to pressure them in a business dispute over control @ @ @ @ @ The nearly year-long saga has triggered unease among Russia ’ s business and investment community @ @ @ @ @ and Washington .

A Moscow court on Thursday ruled to keep U.S. investor Michael Calvey under house arrest until Feb. 13, facing charges of embezzlement, the TASS news agency reported.
A Baring Vostok official representative described the decision as "unjustified."
Calvey and other executives at private equity group Baring Vostok were detained in February 2019. They deny wrongdoing and say the charges against them are being used to pressure them in a business dispute over control of mid-sized bank Vostochny. The nearly year-long saga has triggered unease among Russia’s business and investment community and stoked tensions between Moscow and Washington.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Putin Oversees Hypersonic Missile Test in Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday oversaw military exercises from a naval vessel in the Black Sea near Crimea , @ @ @ @ @ a hypersonic air-launched Kinzhal missile , the Kremlin said .
A pair of MiG-31K interceptor @ @ @ @ @ ( Dagger ) missile at a target on a military test site , the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ several navy vessels .
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since built @ @ @ @ @ peninsula .
The first public outing of the Kinzhal occurred during a Red Square military @ @ @ @ @ was one of several world premieres for Russian weapons .
Putin disclosed the Kinzhal ’ @ @ @ @ @ same year along with other missile systems he touted as unbeatable , describing how they @ @ @ @ @ .
Russian media have said it can hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers ( 1,250 @ @ @ @ @ or conventional warheads and that the missiles have already been deployed in Russia ’ s @ @ @ @

A pair of MiG-31K interceptor jets test fired the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile at a target on a military test site, the Kremlin said. The exercise involved several navy vessels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday oversaw military exercises from a naval vessel in the Black Sea near Crimea, including the test launch of a hypersonic air-launched Kinzhal missile, the Kremlin said.
#Footage of the large-scale Black Sea and Northern Fleets' joint exercise with missile firings, which took place yesterday in the vicinity of the Crimean coast https://t.co/izhR0ZW15T #RussianNavy #BlackSeaFleet #NorthernFleet #Exercises #Warships #Crimea #CombatTraining pic.twitter.com/oJ3J0kVa27
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since built up military infrastructure on the peninsula.
The first public outing of the Kinzhal occurred during a Red Square military parade in May 2018 and was one of several world premieres for Russian weapons.
Putin disclosed the Kinzhal’s existence in March that same year along with other missile systems he touted as unbeatable, describing how they could evade any enemy defenses.
Russian media have said it can hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) distant with nuclear or conventional warheads and that the missiles have already been deployed in Russia’s southern military district.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-09--Russian Journals Retract Almost 900 Papers After Falsification Probe

The commission had asked 541 journals last year to retract 2,528 academic articles suspected of unethical publication practices .
These include plagiarism , self-plagiarism or “ obscure authorship , ” an instance when an academic is listed as an author in one version of a paper but not the other .
Russian academic journals have retracted more than 850 papers after an Academy of Sciences ( RAS ) commission probe into questionable publication practices , the commission said this week .
The RAS ’ commission to counter falsifications in scientific research said 263 Russian journals have voluntarily retracted at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is almost two orders of magnitude more than the total number of retracted articles from Russian journals in all previous years , ” it said in an initial report Monday .
The RAS commission ’ s “ bombshell ” report “ will reinforce the suspicions and fears of many that their country is not going down the right path in science and that it ’ s damaging its own reputation , ” Gerson Sher , a former U.S. National Science Foundation staffer , told the journal Science .
The commission urged for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one defunct publication , from the Russian scientific electronic library ’ s database that contains more than 6,000 Russian academic journals .
The commission said it withdrew its ethics claims against eight other academic journals that put “ careful and thoughtful work ” into explaining the causes of initial suspicions .
The RAS commission said it plans to issue its next set of recommendations in mid-2020 .

The commission had asked 541 journals last year to retract 2,528 academic articles suspected of unethical publication practices. These include plagiarism, self-plagiarism or “obscure authorship,” an instance when an academic is listed as an author in one version of a paper but not the other.
Russian academic journals have retracted more than 850 papers after an Academy of Sciences (RAS) commission probe into questionable publication practices, the commission said this week.
The RAS’ commission to counter falsifications in scientific research said 263 Russian journals have voluntarily retracted at least 869 suspicious papers since then.
“This is almost two orders of magnitude more than the total number of retracted articles from Russian journals in all previous years,” it said in an initial report Monday.
The RAS commission’s “bombshell” report “will reinforce the suspicions and fears of many that their country is not going down the right path in science and that it’s damaging its own reputation,” Gerson Sher, a former U.S. National Science Foundation staffer, told the journal Science.
The commission urged for the removal of five journals, including one defunct publication, from the Russian scientific electronic library’s database that contains more than 6,000 Russian academic journals.
The commission said it withdrew its ethics claims against eight other academic journals that put “careful and thoughtful work” into explaining the causes of initial suspicions.
The RAS commission said it plans to issue its next set of recommendations in mid-2020.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Slow Climate Action May See Warming Do Russia More Harm Than Good

Russia 's first plan to adapt to climate change is a tardy but much-needed acknowledgement of the risks and opportunities presented by global warming , although it lacks concrete action to address the increasingly evident threats , analysts said .
The document , published this month on a government website , said climate change would have a significant and growing influence on Russia 's `` socioeconomic development , living conditions and human health , as well as on the state of economic infrastructure . ''
Russia would need to adjust to an increase in droughts , heavy rainfall , flooding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should start teaching climate change in schools , it said .
Given the `` increasing vulnerability '' of the population and economy to extreme weather and climate impacts , measures to adapt would be of `` strategic importance , '' including `` making use of '' new economic opportunities , it added .
The fossil fuel-rich nation could reap advantages from higher temperatures and melting ice , including less use of energy for heating , increased access for shipping in the Arctic and an expansion of agricultural production , it noted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ framework was too general and did not require authorities to take real steps in the near term – even as the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent .
Alexey Kokorin , head of the climate and energy program at green group WWF Russia , said adaptation to a warming climate was `` so evidently a necessity . ''
The negative consequences of climate change were “ already quite strong ” for Russia but it had yet to work out how “ to take advantage of the positive ones , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.5 times faster than the global average since the mid-1970s , according to the document .
Recent climate-related disasters in Russia have included 2019 wildfires that raged across Siberia , destroying at least 3 million hectares ( 7.4 million acres ) of forest .
Roman Vilfand , acting head of Russia 's Hydrometeorology Center , noted this month that temperatures across the country were far above normal levels , including 20 degrees Celsius higher than average in Siberia , one of the world 's coldest places .
Moscow 's authorities were even forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Year celebrations during the Russian capital 's warmest December since 1886 .
And in early January , ice melted on the Yenisei River in Siberia 's Krasnoyarsk region , flooding several villages .
Russia 's Economic Development Ministry said the plan , which it produced , would lay the foundations for a national strategy to adapt to climate change , while raising public awareness of the issue .
`` It will also emphasize that the Russian Federation is ready to make efforts and systematically deal with the fight against climate change , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The document outlines a framework for national adaptation , mainly through legislative amendments and drafting of plans for regions and economic sectors over the next three years .
The ministry plans to start developing and costing detailed measures only in late 2022 .
“ Regions are not really required to do anything over the next few years — it is a very unambitious document , ” said Georgy Safonov , associate professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow .
Until recently Russia had no coordinated policy on climate change adaptation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disasters were “ reactive , ” he said by email .
In a social media post , Russian youth climate activists in the Fridays for Future group welcomed the new plan but said “ as always , the Russian government is in no hurry and is turning a blind eye to the skyrocketing average temperature on the planet.
” While acknowledging that the world is heating up and climate change poses a serious threat to Russia , President Vladimir Putin expressed doubt over whether climate change is man-made at his end-of-year press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have declined significantly since 1990 , mainly due to plummeting industrial production after the collapse of the Soviet economy .
In recent years there has been a minor increase in emissions , but they are still about 30 % lower than 1990 levels .
The country ’ s emissions reduction target for 2030 , set in 2015 , is to limit greenhouse gases to 70-75 % of 1990 levels , which analysts consider unambitious and insufficient to help meet global targets to curb warming .
WWF Russia 's Kokorin emphasized the need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions .
`` Adaptation has clear limits and we are not far from these limits , '' he said .
The new adaptation framework will form part of wider climate legislation , including a long-term low-carbon strategy , set to be adopted later this year , after Russia formally joined the Paris climate accord last September .
Meanwhile , the government has publicly stated that it hopes to capitalize on greater access to Arctic shipping routes and natural resources — including oil , gas and minerals — as Russia ’ s frozen north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available for growing crops is also set to increase , the adaptation plan said , while livestock breeding could become more efficient and boreal forests grow faster .
But WWF Russia 's Kokorin warned of “ pitfalls ” and a risk of negative feedback cycles .
They include faster warming caused by melting permafrost which releases large amounts of methane , a potent greenhouse gas .
Any boost to forest growth could be outweighed by forest fires and unsustainable logging , Kokorin added .
And damage to agriculture from hotter temperatures was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with soils poor in the warming north and droughts hitting the south , he said .
`` Yes , ( climate change ) is positive for the Russian north , but it will be very small compared to the south , where the negative effects will be more significant , '' he said .

Russia's first plan to adapt to climate change is a tardy but much-needed acknowledgement of the risks and opportunities presented by global warming, although it lacks concrete action to address the increasingly evident threats, analysts said. The document, published this month on a government website, said climate change would have a significant and growing influence on Russia's "socioeconomic development, living conditions and human health, as well as on the state of economic infrastructure."
Russia would need to adjust to an increase in droughts, heavy rainfall, flooding, forest fires and infectious diseases, and should start teaching climate change in schools, it said. Given the "increasing vulnerability" of the population and economy to extreme weather and climate impacts, measures to adapt would be of "strategic importance," including "making use of" new economic opportunities, it added. The fossil fuel-rich nation could reap advantages from higher temperatures and melting ice, including less use of energy for heating, increased access for shipping in the Arctic and an expansion of agricultural production, it noted. But climate change experts said the new framework was too general and did not require authorities to take real steps in the near term – even as the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent. Alexey Kokorin, head of the climate and energy program at green group WWF Russia, said adaptation to a warming climate was "so evidently a necessity." The negative consequences of climate change were “already quite strong” for Russia but it had yet to work out how “to take advantage of the positive ones,” he added. Temperatures in Russia have risen 2.5 times faster than the global average since the mid-1970s, according to the document. Recent climate-related disasters in Russia have included 2019 wildfires that raged across Siberia, destroying at least 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of forest.
Roman Vilfand, acting head of Russia's Hydrometeorology Center, noted this month that temperatures across the country were far above normal levels, including 20 degrees Celsius higher than average in Siberia, one of the world's coldest places. Moscow's authorities were even forced to bring in artificial snow for New Year celebrations during the Russian capital's warmest December since 1886. And in early January, ice melted on the Yenisei River in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region, flooding several villages. 'No hurry' Russia's Economic Development Ministry said the plan, which it produced, would lay the foundations for a national strategy to adapt to climate change, while raising public awareness of the issue. "It will also emphasize that the Russian Federation is ready to make efforts and systematically deal with the fight against climate change," the ministry said in a written comment. The document outlines a framework for national adaptation, mainly through legislative amendments and drafting of plans for regions and economic sectors over the next three years. The ministry plans to start developing and costing detailed measures only in late 2022. “Regions are not really required to do anything over the next few years — it is a very unambitious document,” said Georgy Safonov, associate professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Until recently Russia had no coordinated policy on climate change adaptation and most of its responses to weather disasters were “reactive,” he said by email.
news Moscow Resorts to Fake Snow for New Year Festivities Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Germany Jails Russian for Exporting Embargoed Military Tech

Authorities detained the man , identified as Vladimir D. , in December 2018 and his trial began in November 2019 .
German prosecutors accused the defendant , who reportedly lived in Germany for 25 years , of selling more than $ 2 million worth of illegal goods to “ military recipients in Russia ” between 2014 and 2018 .
A Russian national has been sentenced to seven years in German prison for selling sensitive military technology and chemicals to Russia , the Deutsche Welle broadcaster reported Thursday .
A court in Hamburg found Vladimir D. , 69 , guilty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia , DW reported .
EU sanctions imposed over Russia ’ s annexation of Crimea in 2014 ban the export of dual-use goods to Russia because they also have military applications .
Vladimir D. had exported two pieces of heat-and-pressure technology known as hot isostatic presses .
DW reports that the presses are used in the production of plane and rocket engines .
Vladimir D. was also jailed for delivering 4.5 kilograms of a chemical used to make rocket propellants and explosives , according to a report by the German news agency DPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s official publication .
“ It was partly transported in airplane luggage , endangering both customs officers and travelers , ” the report said .
Vladimir D. forged paperwork and used fake recipients to circumvent export controls , according to DW .
The broadcaster reported that Vladimir D. was also due to deliver 15 kilograms of the chemical , known as decaborane , to a Russian “ military recipient .
”

Authorities detained the man, identified as Vladimir D., in December 2018 and his trial began in November 2019. German prosecutors accused the defendant, who reportedly lived in Germany for 25 years, of selling more than $2 million worth of illegal goods to “military recipients in Russia” between 2014 and 2018.
A Russian national has been sentenced to seven years in German prison for selling sensitive military technology and chemicals to Russia, the Deutsche Welle broadcaster reported Thursday.
A court in Hamburg found Vladimir D., 69, guilty of illegally exporting the embargoed dual-use technology to Russia, DW reported.
EU sanctions imposed over Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 ban the export of dual-use goods to Russia because they also have military applications.
Vladimir D. had exported two pieces of heat-and-pressure technology known as hot isostatic presses. DW reports that the presses are used in the production of plane and rocket engines.
Vladimir D. was also jailed for delivering 4.5 kilograms of a chemical used to make rocket propellants and explosives, according to a report by the German news agency DPA cited in the city of Hamburg’s official publication.
“It was partly transported in airplane luggage, endangering both customs officers and travelers,” the report said.
Vladimir D. forged paperwork and used fake recipients to circumvent export controls, according to DW.
The broadcaster reported that Vladimir D. was also due to deliver 15 kilograms of the chemical, known as decaborane, to a Russian “military recipient.”


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Russia Reacts to Claims of Iranian Missile Downing Ukrainian Plane

The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev from Tehran crashed Wednesday , hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq .
The U.S. government believes Iran shot down the plane by mistake , three unnamed U.S. officials said .
An Iranian missile likely accidentally brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran , killing all 176 aboard , Canada ’ s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday .
Iran denied the Ukrainian airliner had been hit by a missile , with government spokesman Ali Rabiei saying in a statement that such reports were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday that the possibility a missile downed the airliner had not been ruled out but that it had not been confirmed yet .
The Ukrainian government said Thursday it was investigating reports of debris from a Russian-made Tor-M1 missile .
Here ’ s how Russian lawmakers have reacted to the news : — Franz Klintsevich , member of the defense committee in Russia ’ s upper house of parliament , the Federation Council : “ It looks a lot like [ the result of an ] external impact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must wait.
” “ Looking for a Russian footprint in the Boeing crash is foolish.
” — Leonid Slutsky , head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma : “ Any statement on the causes of the Ukrainian Boeing 737 crash made before the investigation ends is premature and could be used for political purposes.
” “ We need facts and concrete evidence , not imaginary references to intelligence .
So far , it ’ s all unfounded.
” “ The West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragedy.
” “ I believe that there are no grounds [ for Trudeau ] to make such statements .
Anything is possible , but I don ’ t see any proof thus far.
” “ There is no and can be no Russian trace .
”

The Ukraine International Airlines flight to Kiev from Tehran crashed Wednesday, hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq. The U.S. government believes Iran shot down the plane by mistake, three unnamed U.S. officials said.
An Iranian missile likely accidentally brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, killing all 176 aboard, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday.
Iran denied the Ukrainian airliner had been hit by a missile, with government spokesman Ali Rabiei saying in a statement that such reports were “psychological warfare against Iran.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Friday that the possibility a missile downed the airliner had not been ruled out but that it had not been confirmed yet. The Ukrainian government said Thursday it was investigating reports of debris from a Russian-made Tor-M1 missile.
Here’s how Russian lawmakers have reacted to the news:
— Franz Klintsevich, member of the defense committee in Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council:
“It looks a lot like [the result of an] external impact, indeed. But this requires verification. We must wait.”
“Looking for a Russian footprint in the Boeing crash is foolish.”
— Leonid Slutsky, head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma:
“Any statement on the causes of the Ukrainian Boeing 737 crash made before the investigation ends is premature and could be used for political purposes.”
“We need facts and concrete evidence, not imaginary references to intelligence. So far, it’s all unfounded.”
— Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee:
“The West has blamed Iran in advance for this tragedy.”
“I believe that there are no grounds [for Trudeau] to make such statements. Anything is possible, but I don’t see any proof thus far.”
“There is no and can be no Russian trace.”
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Iraq in Talks to Buy Russian Missile Systems – Lawmaker

Meanwhile , firebrand lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky urged Iran to buy Russia ’ s advanced S-400 missile systems in the wake of a flare-up in tensions with Washington .
Iraq has resumed talks with Russia to buy its S-300 surface-to-air missile systems , a senior Iraqi lawmaker told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian commander and Iran ’ s retaliatory missile strikes there .
“ I told Iran ’ s leadership to buy our more powerful S-400 and S-500 missile defense systems and to open air , naval and land bases like in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency quoted Zhirinovsky as saying .
Iraq has several months ago “ renewed negotiations on an S-300 contract ” with Russia , Mohammad Reza al-Haider , the chairman of the Iraqi parliament ’ s defense committee , told RIA on Thursday .
Earlier talks — after alleged Israeli strikes on Iran-linked targets in August — were suspended over U.S. threats of sanctions , he said .
The S-300 manufacturer is subject to U.S. and European sanctions .
“ We expect pushback from the U.S. on this matter , ” al-Haider told RIA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian-Iraqi negotiations have reached , but noted that Baghdad ’ s leadership has authorized the S-300 purchase .
Iraq has expanded its defense cooperation with Russia in recent years with increased purchases of Russian aircraft and tanks .
Iran fired missiles Wednesday at bases in Iraq where U.S. troops were stationed in retaliation for Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani 's killing in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3 .
U.S. President Donald Trump said he authorized Soleimani ’ s assassination because the Iranian commander had planned to blow up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s ambassador in Baghdad told Iraq ’ s parliamentary speaker that Moscow was ready to support its UN Security Council initiative to expand its air defense capabilities .
An Iran-linked militia leader visited Moscow in September in what analysts said was “ probably connected to Iraq ’ s interest in expanding military-technical contacts with Russia and purchasing Russian air defense systems .
”

Meanwhile, firebrand lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky urged Iran to buy Russia’s advanced S-400 missile systems in the wake of a flare-up in tensions with Washington.
Iraq has resumed talks with Russia to buy its S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, a senior Iraqi lawmaker told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian commander and Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes there.
“I told Iran’s leadership to buy our more powerful S-400 and S-500 missile defense systems and to open air, naval and land bases like in Syria,” the state-run TASS news agency quoted Zhirinovsky as saying.
Iraq has several months ago “renewed negotiations on an S-300 contract” with Russia, Mohammad Reza al-Haider, the chairman of the Iraqi parliament’s defense committee, told RIA on Thursday.
Earlier talks — after alleged Israeli strikes on Iran-linked targets in August — were suspended over U.S. threats of sanctions, he said. The S-300 manufacturer is subject to U.S. and European sanctions.
“We expect pushback from the U.S. on this matter,” al-Haider told RIA.
Al-Haider said he was unaware what stage the Russian-Iraqi negotiations have reached, but noted that Baghdad’s leadership has authorized the S-300 purchase.
Iraq has expanded its defense cooperation with Russia in recent years with increased purchases of Russian aircraft and tanks.
Iran fired missiles Wednesday at bases in Iraq where U.S. troops were stationed in retaliation for Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani's killing in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. U.S. President Donald Trump said he authorized Soleimani’s assassination because the Iranian commander had planned to blow up a U.S. embassy.
In August, Russia’s ambassador in Baghdad told Iraq’s parliamentary speaker that Moscow was ready to support its UN Security Council initiative to expand its air defense capabilities.
An Iran-linked militia leader visited Moscow in September in what analysts said was “probably connected to Iraq’s interest in expanding military-technical contacts with Russia and purchasing Russian air defense systems.”
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Russian Missile System Suspected of Bringing Down Ukraine Airliner: Short Range, Fast and Deadly

The Tor , also called the SA-15 Gauntlet by NATO , is a short-range `` point defense '' system that integrates the missile launcher and radar into a single tracked vehicle .
Canada said on Thursday that a surface-to-air missile brought down a Ukrainian airliner in Tehran , while the Ukrainian government said it was investigating reports of debris from a Russian-made Tor-M1 missile .
It is designed to be mobile and lethal against targets at altitudes up to 6,000 meters ( 20,000 feet ) and at ranges of 12 kilometers ( 7.5 miles ) , according to the Federation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyzes `` catastrophic threats to national and international security . ''
Military aircraft and cruise missiles — which the Tor system is designed to destroy — typically plot their courses to avoid being spotted on radar .
They are equipped with systems such as chaff , which confuses radar , and flares , which act as decoys for heat-seeking missiles .
The jet that crashed Wednesday , Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 , a Boeing 737-800 , would have filed a flight plan and had no defensive features .
It was unlikely the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any missile , said Michael Duitsman , a research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies .
`` They probably would n't have even seen it coming , '' Duitsman said .
`` Right after takeoff , the pilots were probably preoccupied with other things . ''
To attack a target , the Tor operator must identify it on the radar screen and direct the missile to launch .
Commercial air flights have transponders — radio transmitters that broadcast their identity , speed and altitude at an internationally agreed frequency .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flight 752 crashed just a few kilometres from the airport .
All of those aircraft would have been visible on the radar screen of the Tor battery as well as civilian radar at the airport .
A former European air defense officer , who now works on missile defence technology , said that ideally , flight plans and transponder codes of all scheduled civilian flights would be shared with military units stationed near an airport .
That allows the missile battery operator to correlate each object on radar with a flight plan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostile aircraft is easy , '' said the officer , who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue .
`` It 's identifying the aircraft and not shooting down friendlies that are the challenges . ''
Tor missiles are guided by radar and fly at almost three times the speed of sound .
That means that if launched at a target 5 km ( 3 miles ) away , they will arrive within about five seconds .

The Tor, also called the SA-15 Gauntlet by NATO, is a short-range "point defense" system that integrates the missile launcher and radar into a single tracked vehicle.
Canada said on Thursday that a surface-to-air missile brought down a Ukrainian airliner in Tehran, while the Ukrainian government said it was investigating reports of debris from a Russian-made Tor-M1 missile.
It is designed to be mobile and lethal against targets at altitudes up to 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) and at ranges of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), according to the Federation of American Scientists, which researches and analyzes "catastrophic threats to national and international security."
Military aircraft and cruise missiles — which the Tor system is designed to destroy — typically plot their courses to avoid being spotted on radar. They are equipped with systems such as chaff, which confuses radar, and flares, which act as decoys for heat-seeking missiles.
The jet that crashed Wednesday, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a Boeing 737-800, would have filed a flight plan and had no defensive features.
It was unlikely the flight crew had time to react to any missile, said Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
"They probably wouldn't have even seen it coming," Duitsman said. "Right after takeoff, the pilots were probably preoccupied with other things."
To attack a target, the Tor operator must identify it on the radar screen and direct the missile to launch.
Commercial air flights have transponders — radio transmitters that broadcast their identity, speed and altitude at an internationally agreed frequency. There were several other civilian aircraft nearby when Flight 752 crashed just a few kilometres from the airport.
All of those aircraft would have been visible on the radar screen of the Tor battery as well as civilian radar at the airport.
Identifying the friendlies
A former European air defense officer, who now works on missile defence technology, said that ideally, flight plans and transponder codes of all scheduled civilian flights would be shared with military units stationed near an airport.
That allows the missile battery operator to correlate each object on radar with a flight plan and transponder code.
"Shooting down a hostile aircraft is easy," said the officer, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"It's identifying the aircraft and not shooting down friendlies that are the challenges."
Tor missiles are guided by radar and fly at almost three times the speed of sound. That means that if launched at a target 5 km (3 miles) away, they will arrive within about five seconds.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Crimea Plans First Direct International Flights, Lawmaker Says

The Simferopol-Yerevan route will launch in March , marking the first international flight to the Crimean peninsula since Moscow seized @ @ @ @ @ , said the lawmaker , Alexei Chernyak .
Annexed Crimea plans to open first direct @ @ @ @ @ spring , a senior lawmaker in the region ’ s Moscow-backed parliament told the state-run @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This will serve as a good example for China , Turkey and other @ @ @ @ @ Chernyak , who heads the Crimean legislature ’ s tourism committee , told RIA .
@ @ @ @ @ state-run TASS news agency that it asked the Foreign Ministry to approve the new route @ @ @ @ @ asked the Foreign Ministry to consider the issue and , in the event of a @ @ @ @ @ note to Armenia , ” its press service was quoted as saying .
Armenia ’ @ @ @ @ @ aviation authority , however , denied that there were plans to launch flights to and @ @ @

The Simferopol-Yerevan route will launch in March, marking the first international flight to the Crimean peninsula since Moscow seized it from Ukraine in 2014, said the lawmaker, Alexei Chernyak.
Annexed Crimea plans to open first direct international flights to Armenia this spring, a senior lawmaker in the region’s Moscow-backed parliament told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Friday.
“This will serve as a good example for China, Turkey and other countries and airlines,” Chernyak, who heads the Crimean legislature’s tourism committee, told RIA.
The Transport Ministry told the state-run TASS news agency that it asked the Foreign Ministry to approve the new route.
“The Transport Ministry asked the Foreign Ministry to consider the issue and, in the event of a favorable ruling, send a note to Armenia,” its press service was quoted as saying.
Armenia’s transport ministry and civil aviation authority, however, denied that there were plans to launch flights to and from Crimea.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Russia ‘Escalating’ Jehovah’s Witnesses Crackdown – HRW

The religious group estimates that 313 people have been charged or convicted since Russia ’ s Supreme Court banned the Jehovah ’ s Witnesses as an “ extremist ” organization in 2017 .
Russian authorities have ramped up the persecution of Jehovah ’ s Witnesses in the country in the past 12 months , Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) said Thursday .
Eighteen worshippers were convicted in 2019 with sentences ranging from large fines to imprisonment , the Jehovah ’ s Witnesses in Russia said in a year-end summary .
Nine received prison sentences between two and six years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 489 of at least 778 raids on members since 2017 , the Jehovah ’ s Witnesses in Russia said .
“ Russian authorities should release detained Jehovah ’ s Witnesses immediately , drop any outstanding charges , expunge all related criminal records and halt their persecution , ” HRW said in a statement .
It said most of the targeted Jehovah ’ s Witnesses are middle-aged men , though at least 39 women , including one as old as 89 years , have faced charges .
Authorities have planted people to photograph and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage that was later used as evidence against the worshippers , two lawyers who represent the group told HRW .
Some worshippers reported feeling psychological pressure when armed men showed up at their door and said they had to endure hours of searches in their homes .
In most cases , HRW said Russian law enforcement showed search warrants , those detained were granted access to lawyers and most refused to give self-incriminating evidence during interrogations .
Rights groups have condemned the crackdown against the Christian denomination as a violation of religious freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branches across Russia to shut down and at least 5,000 worshippers to flee the country , according to media reports .
The Jehovah ’ s Witnesses group estimates that it has about 170,000 followers in Russia .

The religious group estimates that 313 people have been charged or convicted since Russia’s Supreme Court banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist” organization in 2017.
Russian authorities have ramped up the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country in the past 12 months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday.
Eighteen worshippers were convicted in 2019 with sentences ranging from large fines to imprisonment, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia said in a year-end summary. Nine received prison sentences between two and six years.
Last year, authorities carried out 489 of at least 778 raids on members since 2017, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia said.
“Russian authorities should release detained Jehovah’s Witnesses immediately, drop any outstanding charges, expunge all related criminal records and halt their persecution,” HRW said in a statement.
It said most of the targeted Jehovah’s Witnesses are middle-aged men, though at least 39 women, including one as old as 89 years, have faced charges.
Authorities have planted people to photograph and film Jehovah’s Witnesses meetings, footage that was later used as evidence against the worshippers, two lawyers who represent the group told HRW.
Some worshippers reported feeling psychological pressure when armed men showed up at their door and said they had to endure hours of searches in their homes.
In most cases, HRW said Russian law enforcement showed search warrants, those detained were granted access to lawyers and most refused to give self-incriminating evidence during interrogations.
Rights groups have condemned the crackdown against the Christian denomination as a violation of religious freedom.
The April 2017 ban forced 395 branches across Russia to shut down and at least 5,000 worshippers to flee the country, according to media reports. The Jehovah’s Witnesses group estimates that it has about 170,000 followers in Russia.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-10--Russia's Leading Human Rights Group Fined 21 Times for 'Foreign Agent' Violations

Since the late 1980s , Memorial has engaged in investigations of Soviet political repression .
That work is becoming increasingly complicated .
The organization has been repeatedly fined by Russian authorities for violations of the country 's so-called foreign agent law .
The latest fine was issued on Dec. 9 as Memorial lost a case in Moscow 's Tverskoy District Court .
A total of 300,000 rubles ( $ 4,900 ) will now have to be paid to the Federal Treasury .
That comes in addition to 20 previous fines .
The total sum of the fines amounts to 4.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Memorial says .
According to Russian state media watchdog Roskomnadzor , Memorial had failed to add a `` foreign agent '' label to its website for a project about members of the Soviet secret service .
The web portal includes information about members of the NKVD , a predecessor to the KGB , and their engagement in Stalin-era repressions .
Representatives of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) had filed complaints about the project portal , Memorial says .
The `` foreign agent '' label is considered highly discrediting for organizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Since the late 1980s, Memorial has engaged in investigations of Soviet political repression. That work is becoming increasingly complicated.
The organization has been repeatedly fined by Russian authorities for violations of the country's so-called foreign agent law. The latest fine was issued on Dec. 9 as Memorial lost a case in Moscow's Tverskoy District Court.
A total of 300,000 rubles ($4,900) will now have to be paid to the Federal Treasury. That comes in addition to 20 previous fines. The total sum of the fines amounts to 4.2 million rubles ($67,000), Memorial says.
According to Russian state media watchdog Roskomnadzor, Memorial had failed to add a "foreign agent" label to its website for a project about members of the Soviet secret service. The web portal includes information about members of the NKVD, a predecessor to the KGB, and their engagement in Stalin-era repressions.
Representatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB) had filed complaints about the project portal, Memorial says.
The "foreign agent" label is considered highly discrediting for organizations and significantly disrupts their daily operations and finances.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-11--Court in Breakaway Georgian Region Annuls Contested Presidential Vote

The isolated region , which broke away from Georgia after the Soviet Union collapsed , saw protesters on Thursday break into government headquarters to demand the exit of local president Raul Khajimba , who was re-elected in September .
The Supreme Court of breakaway Georgian region Abkhazia on Friday overturned a presidential election that had returned the incumbent but triggered rowdy protests .
A majority of lawmakers in the local legislature had voted on Thursday for his resignation , the state-run TASS news agency reported .
On Friday , Abkhazia 's Supreme Court said in a statement it had decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversing an earlier decision to uphold them , following a petition by opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia .
It ruled that a new election must be held .
Khajimba and his supporters plan to appeal , TASS said .
Located in the South Caucasus along the coast of the Black Sea , Abkhazia is considered by most nations to be a part of Georgia .
However , Russia recognized its independence and that of South Ossetia region after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008 .
Russia has troops based in Abkhazia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ won over 50 % of votes in the September election , despite the electoral system requiring an absolute majority .

The isolated region, which broke away from Georgia after the Soviet Union collapsed, saw protesters on Thursday break into government headquarters to demand the exit of local president Raul Khajimba, who was re-elected in September.
The Supreme Court of breakaway Georgian region Abkhazia on Friday overturned a presidential election that had returned the incumbent but triggered rowdy protests.
A majority of lawmakers in the local legislature had voted on Thursday for his resignation, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
On Friday, Abkhazia's Supreme Court said in a statement it had decided to declare the election results void, reversing an earlier decision to uphold them, following a petition by opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia.
It ruled that a new election must be held.
Khajimba and his supporters plan to appeal, TASS said.
Located in the South Caucasus along the coast of the Black Sea, Abkhazia is considered by most nations to be a part of Georgia. However, Russia recognized its independence and that of South Ossetia region after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008. Russia has troops based in Abkhazia.
TASS said protesters complained neither candidate had won over 50% of votes in the September election, despite the electoral system requiring an absolute majority.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-11--Iran Says Military Shot Down Ukraine Plane in Error, After Denial Drew Scrutiny Abroad

Iran said on Saturday its military had mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard , saying air defenses were fired in error while on high alert in the tense aftermath of Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq .
Iran had previously vigorously denied bringing the plane down .
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei , who until Saturday had kept silent about the crash , said information should be made public .
Wednesday 's crash heightened international pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States and tit-for-tat attacks .
A U.S. drone strike had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq on Jan. 3 , prompting Tehran to fire at U.S. targets on Wednesday .
Canada , which had 57 citizens on board , and the United States had both said they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft , although they said it was probably an error .
`` The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake , '' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote on Twitter , promising that those behind the incident would be prosecuted .
`` My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have made it all but impossible to hide signs of a missile strike in any investigation and Iran may have felt a U-turn was better than battling rising criticism abroad and growing grief and anger at home , as many victims were Iranians with dual nationality .
In Twitter messages , angry Iranians asked why the plane was allowed to take off with tensions in Iran so high .
The plane came down when Tehran was on alert for U.S. reprisals in the hours after Iran launched rockets at U.S. troops in Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the nation and accepted full responsibility .
Senior Guards commander Amirali Hajizadeh said he wished `` I could die '' when he heard the news about the incident , state media reported .
Responding to Iran 's announcement on Saturday , Ukraine demanded an official apology and compensation .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would work `` to ensure a complete and thorough investigation '' and wanted Iran 's full cooperation .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that `` human error at time of crisis caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' citing an initial armed forces investigation into the crash of the Boeing 737-800 .
A military statement said the plane flew close to a sensitive military site of the elite Revolutionary Guards .
At the time , planes had been spotted on radar near strategic sites leading to `` further alertness '' in air defenses .
Ukraine has said the plane was in a normal flight corridor .
Experts said a probe would almost certainly have revealed tell-tale signs on the fuselage remains of a missile strike .
`` There 's nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or hide it , '' said Anthony Brickhouse , an air safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator .
`` Evidence is evidence . ''
Former U.S. Federal Aviation Administration accident investigator , Mike Daniel , said the mounting evidence made it inevitable that Iran would `` accept culpability . ''
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Mobile phone footage posted and circulated by ordinary Iranians on Twitter after the crash had indicated the plane came down in flames @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Aviation experts said Iran and the airline would have to explain why the plane was allowed to take off , as it is up to a country to close its airspace when there is a security risk , while many other airlines were already avoiding Iranian airspace .
Iran 's initial denials this week had described accusations that a missile was to blame as `` psychological warfare . ''
Grief-stricken Iranians complained on social media that Iran 's authorities had spent more time fending off criticism than sympathising with victims ' families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flying out of Tehran airport in those conditions ? ''
Twitter user Shiva Balaghi wrote .
A U.S. official had said data showed the plane airborne for two minutes after departing Tehran when heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected .
There was an explosion in the vicinity and heat data showed the plane on fire as it fell .
U.S. military satellites detect infrared emissions from heat .
U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that `` somebody could have made a mistake . ''
Iran had said on Thursday it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight data recorders , known as black boxes , to determine what had happened , although it had said the process could take one to two months .
Tehran had said it could ask Russia , Canada , France or Ukraine for help in the investigation .
The disaster had echoes of an incident in 1988 , when the U.S. warship USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner , killing 290 people .
Washington said it was a tragic accident .
Tehran said it was intentional .

Iran said on Saturday its military had shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard in a "disastrous mistake", saying air defenses were fired in error while on alert after Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.
Iran had denied for days after Wednesday's crash that it had brought down the airliner, although a top Revolutionary Guards commander said on Saturday that he told authorities about the unintentional missile strike the day it happened.
Even as top Iranian officials and the military issued apologies, protests against authorities spread across Iran including in the capital Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Hamedan and Orumiyeh. Foreign governments condemned Iran's shootdown, with Ukraine demanding compensation. Canada, Ukraine and Britain, however, called Tehran's admission an important first step.
"What Iran has admitted to is very serious. Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific. Iran must take full responsibility," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country had 57 citizens on board, told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa. "Canada will not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve."
Trudeau said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators, working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing a dialogue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Iran's acknowledgement was a step in the right direction but added, "The perpetrators must be held accountable."
Writing on Twitter, Zelenskiy said Rouhani had apologized to him on behalf of his country. Zelenskiy demanded that the victims be identified and returned to Ukraine at once.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, until now silent about the crash, said information about the incident should be made public.
Up to 1,000 protesters chanted slogans in Tehran against the authorities, the semi-official Fars news agency said in a rare report on anti-government unrest.
Demonstrators ripped up pictures of Qassem Soleimani, a prominent Iranian military commander who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3. Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing led to Iran being on a state of high alert for possible reprisals in the hours when the plane was downed.
On Twitter, videos showed protesters demanding that Khamenei step down because of the disaster.
"Commander-in-chief resign, resign," hundreds chanted in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir university. Reuters could not verify the footage.
The crash heightened international pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States and tit-for-tat attacks. Canada and the United States had both said early on that they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft, probably in error.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake," Rouhani wrote on Twitter, promising that those responsible would be prosecuted. "My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families."
U.S. reaction
In the first official U.S. statement after Iran's admission, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on Twitter a video of the protests in Tehran with the caption, "The voice of the Iranian people is clear. They are fed up with the regime's lies, corruption, ineptitude and brutality" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, under what he called Khamenei's "kleptocracy."
Experts said mounting international scrutiny would have made it all but impossible to hide signs of a missile strike in any investigation and Iran may have felt a U-turn was better than battling rising criticism abroad and growing grief and anger at home, as many victims were Iranians with dual nationality.
In Twitter messages, angry Iranians asked why the plane was allowed to take off with tensions in Iran so high.
The plane, a Boeing 737-800 en route for Kiev, came down shortly after take-off from Tehran, when Iran was alert for U.S. reprisals after launching rockets at U.S. troops in Iraqi bases.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Iran's admission was "an important first step" and that it was "vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward" to avoid conflict.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards, in a rare step, apologized to the nation and accepted full responsibility. Senior Guards commander Amirali Hajizadeh said he had informed Iran's authorities on Wednesday about the unintentional strike, a comment that raised questions about why officials had publicly denied it for so long.
Speaking on state television, Hajizadeh said he wished "I could die" when he heard about the incident.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that "human error at time of crisis caused by U.S. adventurism led to disaster," citing an initial armed forces investigation into the crash.
A military statement said the plane flew close to a sensitive Revolutionary Guards site at a time of high alert. Ukraine said the plane was in a normal flight corridor and Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said the airliner had not veered off its normal course.
Ukraine International Airlines said Iran should have closed the airport. The carrier said it had received no indication it faced a threat and was cleared for take off.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said his country will pay 200,000 hryvnia ($8,350) each to the families of those who died in the disaster. Honcharuk also said Ukrainian diplomats were working on how to receive compensation from the Iranian authorities.
European airlines should avoid Iranian airspace until further notice, the EU Aviation Safety Agency said, expanding on earlier advice that airlines should not overfly Iran below 25,000 feet (7.6 kilometers).
The disaster was reminiscent of a 1988 incident in which the American guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner, killing 290 people. Washington said it was an accident. Tehran said it was intentional.
Iran's admission stands in contrast to Russia's denials of responsibility in the 2014 shootdown of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukrainian territory held by Russia-backed separatists. All 298 people aboard died. A Dutch-led investigation concluded that the missile that hit the aircraft came from a launcher transported from a Russian military base just across the border.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-11--Russians Fighting in Libya Do Not Represent the State, Putin Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin , asked on Saturday whether mercenaries known as the Wagner Group were fighting in Libya , @ @ @ @ @ Russians in Libya , they are not representing the Russian state , nor are they @ @ @ @ @ Russian private military contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and @ @ @ @ @ media have previously reported .
The contractors are recruited by a private military group known @ @ @ @ @ are mostly ex-service personnel .
The Russian state denies it uses mercenaries abroad .
During @ @ @ @ @ German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow , Putin said it was time to hold Libya @ @ @ @ @ as it was important to end the conflict in the country .
Merkel said at @ @ @ @ @ Germany plans to start sending out invitations for the peace talks soon .

Russian President Vladimir Putin, asked on Saturday whether mercenaries known as the Wagner Group were fighting in Libya, said that if there are Russians in Libya, they are not representing the Russian state, nor are they paid by the state.
Russian private military contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine, Reuters and other media have previously reported. The contractors are recruited by a private military group known as Wagner Group whose members are mostly ex-service personnel.
The Russian state denies it uses mercenaries abroad.
During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow, Putin said it was time to hold Libya peace talks in Berlin, as it was important to end the conflict in the country. Merkel said at the same press conference that Germany plans to start sending out invitations for the peace talks soon.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-12--Russian-Led Air Strikes Suspended in Idlib After Ceasefire

Russia and its allies halted air strikes in Syria 's Idlib region on Sunday as a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force , residents , rebels and respondents said , although few were optimistic the truce would hold .
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Idlib province in recent weeks as Russian jets and Syrian artillery pounded towns and villages in a renewed government assault aimed at clearing the opposition from its last bastion in the northwest of the country .
Turkey ’ s Defense Ministry said it was closely following ceasefire agreements in Idlib on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for one or two separate incidents . ''
Turkey , which for years has backed Syrian rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad , said on Friday it had agreed the ceasefire with Russia to stem the flow of tens of thousands of civilians uprooted by the violence .
The latest offensive had brought the Russian-led military campaign closer to heavily crowded parts of Idlib province , where nearly three million people are trapped , the vast majority women and children , according to the United Nations .
Senior UN officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more acute with at least 300,000 civilians now on the run in Idlib , adding to the more than half a million people who fled earlier bouts of fighting to the safety of camps near the Turkish border .
Moscow says its forces , along with the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias fighting alongside them , are fending off terror attacks by al Qaeda militants whom they say hit populated , government-held areas .
However , they accuse the rebels of wrecking a `` de-escalation zone '' brokered two-years ago between Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday that insurgent rockets had killed two people during shelling of residential areas in Aleppo city .
Rebels and witnesses said that at least a dozen towns were hit by artillery bombing from army posts .
`` Aerial bombing stopped but many towns and villages continued to be targeted by artillery rounds , '' Mohamad Rashid , an activist said .
Rebels said pro-government forces were massing on the front lines and army helicopters had dropped leaflets calling on civilians to surrender and evacuate rebel-held areas .
`` There is no return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the terrorist killers so join your army in achieving victory , '' said a pamphlet dropped on rebel-held areas .
Past truces have proved short lived in the months-long bloody campaign to wrest control of the last rebel stronghold that has killed hundreds and left dozens of towns and villages in ruins .
On the eve of the ceasefire , at least seventeen people , mostly women and children , were killed in Syrian and Russian bombing of four main towns in Idlib province on Saturday , residents and rescuers said .

Russia and its allies halted air strikes in Syria's Idlib region on Sunday as a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force, residents, rebels and respondents said, although few were optimistic the truce would hold. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Idlib province in recent weeks as Russian jets and Syrian artillery pounded towns and villages in a renewed government assault aimed at clearing the opposition from its last bastion in the northwest of the country. Turkey’s Defense Ministry said it was closely following ceasefire agreements in Idlib on Sunday, adding that the situation was calm "except for one or two separate incidents." Turkey, which for years has backed Syrian rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad, said on Friday it had agreed the ceasefire with Russia to stem the flow of tens of thousands of civilians uprooted by the violence.
The latest offensive had brought the Russian-led military campaign closer to heavily crowded parts of Idlib province, where nearly three million people are trapped, the vast majority women and children, according to the United Nations. Senior UN officials said this month that the humanitarian situation had become more acute with at least 300,000 civilians now on the run in Idlib, adding to the more than half a million people who fled earlier bouts of fighting to the safety of camps near the Turkish border. Moscow says its forces, along with the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias fighting alongside them, are fending off terror attacks by al Qaeda militants whom they say hit populated, government-held areas. However, they accuse the rebels of wrecking a "de-escalation zone" brokered two-years ago between Turkey and Russia. The Syrian army said on Sunday that insurgent rockets had killed two people during shelling of residential areas in Aleppo city. Rebels and witnesses said that at least a dozen towns were hit by artillery bombing from army posts. "Aerial bombing stopped but many towns and villages continued to be targeted by artillery rounds," Mohamad Rashid, an activist said. Rebels said pro-government forces were massing on the front lines and army helicopters had dropped leaflets calling on civilians to surrender and evacuate rebel-held areas.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-13--Activist Arrested Over Putin Spokesman ‘Execution’ Video

Karim Yamadayev ’ s controversial video depicts him playing a judge and sentencing two stand-ins , who wear signs reading the names of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and oil baron Igor Sechin , to an off-camera execution .
A third actor wearing a “ Vladimir Putin ” sign and a black bag over his head appears throughout the six-minute video .
An opposition activist in Russia ’ s republic of Tatarstan has been placed under arrest for a YouTube video showing a mock trial and “ execution ” of senior Russian figures , the Mediazona news website reported .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in pre-trial custody until Feb. 29 on charges of calling for terrorist activity online , Mediazona reported Saturday .
If found guilty , Yamadayev could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison .
The controversial video opens with a disclaimer that its authors “ do not intend to incite hatred ” and claims that any similarities to real persons are coincidental .
Police summoned Yamadayev for questioning on New Year ’ s Eve and seized his computer equipment during searches at his apartment earlier this year , according to media reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of a criminal case into insulting a government official , the reports indicated .
“ The investigation qualified one video as two criminal counts , ” his lawyer Pavel Terentyev told the Meduza news website .
Yamadayev was among the first activists to be jailed for 28 days last year for installing a mock gravestone of President Vladimir Putin in the activist ’ s native town of Naberezhnye Chelny .
Similar gravestones have since appeared across Russia .
Meanwhile , a Tatarstan court fined another activist 10,000 rubles ( $ 160 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Dmitry Medvedev , Peskov , Sechin and Putin , human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov wrote Monday .
That judgment cited experts who concluded that one of the videos “ incites hatred toward persons belonging to a social group of government authorities — D.Medvedev , V.Putin , D. Peskov , I.Sechin .
”

The page you were looking for doesn't exist (anymore). Use the search bar or get back to the homepage


themoscowtimes--2020-01-13--Russia and France Want to Safeguard Iran Nuclear Deal, Macron Says

France and Russia have a shared desire to safeguard Iran 's nuclear deal , French President Emmanuel Macron said on @ @ @ @ @ a statement he had a phone call on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin .

France and Russia have a shared desire to safeguard Iran's nuclear deal, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
Macron said in a statement he had a phone call on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-13--Breakaway Georgian Region's Leader Resigns Amid Election Protests

After protesters stormed the government headquarters Thursday , Abkhazia ’ s lawmakers voted for President Raul Khadzhimba ’ s ouster and its supreme court reversed its earlier decision that upheld his re-election in September .
Khadzhimba had led the region since 2014 .
The leader of Georgia ’ s breakaway province of Abkhazia has resigned following days of protests contesting his victory in an election held last fall .
“ I ’ m resigning the presidency in the name of maintaining stability in the country , ” the president 's office said Sunday in a statement on its website .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse of the Soviet Union .
Most countries still consider it a part of Georgia , but Russia recognized its independence after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008 .
Russia deploys troops in Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region , South Ossetia .
Khadzhimba resigned hours after influential Russian presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov was reported to have arrived in Abkhazia to mediate the conflict .
Abkhazia ’ s parliament is expected to vote on Khadzhimba ’ s resignation letter Monday .
Election officials set the next presidential vote to take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run in the upcoming election , Abkhazia ’ s Vice President Aslan Bartsits told the state-run TASS news agency Monday .

After protesters stormed the government headquarters Thursday, Abkhazia’s lawmakers voted for President Raul Khadzhimba’s ouster and its supreme court reversed its earlier decision that upheld his re-election in September. Khadzhimba had led the region since 2014.
The leader of Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia has resigned following days of protests contesting his victory in an election held last fall.
“I’m resigning the presidency in the name of maintaining stability in the country,” the president's office said Sunday in a statement on its website.
Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most countries still consider it a part of Georgia, but Russia recognized its independence after winning a short war against Georgia in 2008.
Russia deploys troops in Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia.
Khadzhimba resigned hours after influential Russian presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov was reported to have arrived in Abkhazia to mediate the conflict.
Abkhazia’s parliament is expected to vote on Khadzhimba’s resignation letter Monday.
Election officials set the next presidential vote to take place March 22. Khadzhimba does not plan to run in the upcoming election, Abkhazia’s Vice President Aslan Bartsits told the state-run TASS news agency Monday.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-13--Russia in Talks to Open Top University Branch in Syria

Viktor Sadovnichy ’ s remarks confirm reports last week that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has allocated land in the Syrian capital to build a Russian university .
As Syrian government forces reclaimed the upper hand in the country ’ s almost nine-year civil war , Russia has unveiled a series of commercial and relief projects to solidify its foothold there .
Moscow State University is in discussions with Syria to open a branch in Damascus , the state-run TASS news agency reported Sunday , citing the university ’ s rector .
Sadovnichy said a “ high-level Syrian delegation ” had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian educational facility after the outbreak of Syria ’ s civil war in 2011 shuttered a Russian school for gifted children .
“ Preliminary discussions to continue this tradition are happening , ” Sadovnichy was quoted as saying .
He noted that the MSU branch in Damascus will likely specialize in natural sciences and mathematics .
“ There is a good mathematical tradition in the country , ” TASS quoted Sadovnichy as saying .
The MSU rector did not specify when the sides are expected to finalize discussions or when construction is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s national academic ratings but underperforms in international rankings despite President Vladimir Putin ’ s efforts to improve Russian universities ’ global standing .
In 2012 , Putin ordered that at least five Russian universities enter the world 's top rankings by 2020 .
The Syrian Education Ministry added Russian as an optional second foreign language in schools after English or French in 2014 .
More than 24,000 youngsters are now learning Russian in Syria , the ministry ’ s Russian-language coordinator told Reuters last week .
Shunned by Western powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Iran to play a role in rebuilding after they helped Syria 's army reclaim most of the country .
Russia began waging an air campaign in support of Assad in 2015 .
Meanwhile , Putin has suggested that Assad invite U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Damascus , according to footage published Sunday .

Viktor Sadovnichy’s remarks confirm reports last week that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has allocated land in the Syrian capital to build a Russian university. As Syrian government forces reclaimed the upper hand in the country’s almost nine-year civil war, Russia has unveiled a series of commercial and relief projects to solidify its foothold there.
Moscow State University is in discussions with Syria to open a branch in Damascus, the state-run TASS news agency reported Sunday, citing the university’s rector.
Sadovnichy said a “high-level Syrian delegation” had asked him several months ago to open a Russian educational facility after the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011 shuttered a Russian school for gifted children.
“Preliminary discussions to continue this tradition are happening,” Sadovnichy was quoted as saying.
He noted that the MSU branch in Damascus will likely specialize in natural sciences and mathematics. “There is a good mathematical tradition in the country,” TASS quoted Sadovnichy as saying.
The MSU rector did not specify when the sides are expected to finalize discussions or when construction is slated to begin.
MSU regularly tops Russia’s national academic ratings but underperforms in international rankings despite President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to improve Russian universities’ global standing. In 2012, Putin ordered that at least five Russian universities enter the world's top rankings by 2020.
The Syrian Education Ministry added Russian as an optional second foreign language in schools after English or French in 2014. More than 24,000 youngsters are now learning Russian in Syria, the ministry’s Russian-language coordinator told Reuters last week.
Shunned by Western powers, Assad has looked to allies Russia and Iran to play a role in rebuilding after they helped Syria's army reclaim most of the country. Russia began waging an air campaign in support of Assad in 2015.
Meanwhile, Putin has suggested that Assad invite U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Damascus, according to footage published Sunday.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-13--News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian mercenaries , if there are any in Libya , are neither representing the Russian state , nor are they paid by the state .
Russian private military contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine , media have previously reported .
The contractors are recruited by a private military group known as Wagner Group whose members are mostly ex-service personnel .
Russia denied Saturday that one of its navy vessels had come dangerously close to a U.S. Navy destroyer in the North Arabian Sea .
The U.S. Navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian ship had `` aggressively approached '' U.S. destroyer USS Farragut , which had then sounded five short blasts and requested the Russian ship alter course .
Russia ’ s Defense Ministry said that the U.S. Navy vessel had crossed the Russian ship 's path , in an action it deemed `` unprofessional '' and `` an intentional violation of international maritime security norms.
” Russia and its allies halted air strikes in Syria 's Idlib region Sunday as a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force , residents , rebels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truce would hold .
On the eve of the ceasefire at least 17 people , mostly women and children , were killed in Syrian and Russian bombing of four main towns in Idlib on Saturday , residents and rescuers said .
Meanwhile , Russia ’ s military has said that up to 200 rebels in 30 pickup trucks with mounted machine guns attacked Syrian regime troops in an Idlib region town .
The repelled ambush was one of 31 ceasefire violations recorded Saturday , Gen. Maj. Yury Borenkov , who heads Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A court in Russia ’ s republic of Tatarstan has placed activist Karim Yamadayev in pre-trial custody for posting a YouTube video in which he plays a judge and sentences actors depicting senior Russian officials to an off-camera execution , the Mediazona news website reported Saturday .

Not Our Mercs
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian mercenaries, if there are any in Libya, are neither representing the Russian state, nor are they paid by the state.
Russian private military contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine, media have previously reported. The contractors are recruited by a private military group known as Wagner Group whose members are mostly ex-service personnel.
Aggressive approach
Russia denied Saturday that one of its navy vessels had come dangerously close to a U.S. Navy destroyer in the North Arabian Sea.
The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said Friday that a Russian ship had "aggressively approached" U.S. destroyer USS Farragut, which had then sounded five short blasts and requested the Russian ship alter course.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that the U.S. Navy vessel had crossed the Russian ship's path, in an action it deemed "unprofessional" and "an intentional violation of international maritime security norms.”
Syria truce
Russia and its allies halted air strikes in Syria's Idlib region Sunday as a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force, residents, rebels and respondents said, although few were optimistic the truce would hold.
On the eve of the ceasefire at least 17 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Syrian and Russian bombing of four main towns in Idlib on Saturday, residents and rescuers said.
Rebel ambush
Meanwhile, Russia’s military has said that up to 200 rebels in 30 pickup trucks with mounted machine guns attacked Syrian regime troops in an Idlib region town.
The repelled ambush was one of 31 ceasefire violations recorded Saturday, Gen. Maj. Yury Borenkov, who heads Russia’s reconciliation center in Syria, said.
‘Judge Gramm’
A court in Russia’s republic of Tatarstan has placed activist Karim Yamadayev in pre-trial custody for posting a YouTube video in which he plays a judge and sentences actors depicting senior Russian officials to an off-camera execution, the Mediazona news website reported Saturday.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-14--No Fat Cats in the Plane Cabin, Russia Says

Russia ’ s union of passengers asked the ministry to set the rules after national flag carrier Aeroflot stripped a frequent flier of his miles for sneaking his overweight cat onto his flight .
Pet owners should also be allowed to pay an extra fee for overweight animals , the union ’ s head Ilya Zotov was cited as saying .
Russia will not set uniform size and weight rules for flying pets after an overweight cat snuck into a plane ’ s cabin captured the nation ’ s heart , the Transportation Ministry has said in a letter cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Transportation Ministry deems it “ inappropriate ” to set uniform animal transportation requirements , Izvestia quoted the ministry ’ s Dec. 19 letter to the union as saying .
Pet owners will thus have to consult each airline ’ s guidelines before flying with their animals .
Most airlines including Aeroflot allow animals weighing up to eight kilograms to fly in the cabin , Izvestia reports , while others set weight limits of between five and 12 kilograms .
Pet carrier size requirements also vary by airline .
The Transportation Ministry later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ union was mischaracterized , the state-run TASS news agency reported .
“ The Transportation Ministry ’ s position was that the specific proposals weren ’ t thoroughly examined and we ’ re ready to examine them further , ” it was quoted as saying .
“ We ’ ll gather a [ working ] group in the near future and meet with [ airlines ] probably in the next two weeks , ” it said .

Russia’s union of passengers asked the ministry to set the rules after national flag carrier Aeroflot stripped a frequent flier of his miles for sneaking his overweight cat onto his flight. Pet owners should also be allowed to pay an extra fee for overweight animals, the union’s head Ilya Zotov was cited as saying.
Russia will not set uniform size and weight rules for flying pets after an overweight cat snuck into a plane’s cabin captured the nation’s heart, the Transportation Ministry has said in a letter cited by the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper Tuesday.
The Transportation Ministry deems it “inappropriate” to set uniform animal transportation requirements, Izvestia quoted the ministry’s Dec. 19 letter to the union as saying.
Pet owners will thus have to consult each airline’s guidelines before flying with their animals.
Most airlines including Aeroflot allow animals weighing up to eight kilograms to fly in the cabin, Izvestia reports, while others set weight limits of between five and 12 kilograms. Pet carrier size requirements also vary by airline.
The Transportation Ministry later said its response to the Russian passengers’ union was mischaracterized, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“The Transportation Ministry’s position was that the specific proposals weren’t thoroughly examined and we’re ready to examine them further,” it was quoted as saying.
“We’ll gather a [working] group in the near future and meet with [airlines] probably in the next two weeks,” it said.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-14--Russia Readies Sweeping Amnesty Bill for 75th WWII Anniversary

Russia ’ s lower house of parliament has prepared a wide-reaching amnesty bill intended to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II .
The end of the Great Patriotic War , as World War II is known in Russia , is still celebrated as the country 's most important public holiday every May 9 .
Presidential human rights council head Valery Fadeyev has said it would be `` right '' to pass an amnesty bill marking the 75th anniversary of the war 's end .
State Duma deputy Sergei Ivanov introduced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , according to the document published on the Duma ’ s website .
If passed , the amnesty will cover first offenders of minor crimes from groups including juvenile delinquents , women , people with disabilities , the elderly and veterans .
It will also include Chernobyl liquidators and people who have received state awards from the U.S.S.R. and Russia .
The amnesty may apply to activist Konstantin Kotov , who was sentenced to four years in prison for “ multiple breaches ” of Russian public demonstration rules in September , Ivanov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kotov was the second person ever to be prosecuted under the controversial legislation after participating in last summer ’ s mass opposition protests .
Kotov ’ s lawyer Maria Eismont said her client wouldn ’ t be eligible for amnesty according to the document .
“ I don ’ t know if the author read his project , but I did it three times and don ’ t see how the amnesty covers Konstantin , ” she wrote on her Facebook page .
The amnesty doesn ’ t apply to the majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants who were convicted on charges of “ mass unrest ” following the summer opposition protests .
Fadeyev had spoken out against including the “ Moscow Case ” defendants on the amnesty list .

Russia’s lower house of parliament has prepared a wide-reaching amnesty bill intended to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The end of the Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known in Russia, is still celebrated as the country's most important public holiday every May 9. Presidential human rights council head Valery Fadeyev has said it would be "right" to pass an amnesty bill marking the 75th anniversary of the war's end.
State Duma deputy Sergei Ivanov introduced the draft resolution to the State Duma on Monday, according to the document published on the Duma’s website. If passed, the amnesty will cover first offenders of minor crimes from groups including juvenile delinquents, women, people with disabilities, the elderly and veterans. It will also include Chernobyl liquidators and people who have received state awards from the U.S.S.R. and Russia. The amnesty may apply to activist Konstantin Kotov, who was sentenced to four years in prison for “multiple breaches” of Russian public demonstration rules in September, Ivanov told the MBKh media news website. Kotov was the second person ever to be prosecuted under the controversial legislation after participating in last summer’s mass opposition protests. Kotov’s lawyer Maria Eismont said her client wouldn’t be eligible for amnesty according to the document.