themoscowtimes--2020-08-05--Explosive Fertilizer Confiscated From Russian Businessman’s Ship Linked to Beirut Blast – Mediazona

Nearly 3,000 tons of a highly explosive fertilizer that caused Tuesday ’ s devastating blast in Beirut came from a ship owned by a Russian businessman , the Mediazona news website reported Wednesday , citing Lebanese television and members of the ship ’ s crew .
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a statement Tuesday that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a Beirut portside warehouse had blown up , killing at least 100 people and causing widespread damage to the Lebanese capital .
The source of the ignition was still unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 confiscated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate from a Moldovan ship called the Rhosus , the country ’ s LBCI television channel reported overnight , citing sources at a Supreme Defense Council meeting .
The Rhosus is owned by Igor Grechushkin , a Russian national and resident of Cyprus , Mediazona cited the ship ’ s crew members as saying .
The ship had been traveling from Georgia to Mozambique in 2013 when it experienced a malfunction and made an unscheduled stop in Beirut .
Soon after , Grechushkin reportedly declared bankruptcy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving its crew stranded on the vessel for months before the ammonium nitrate could be offloaded .
The ammonium nitrate had been stored in a warehouse in the port of Beirut since then .
The MarineTraffic website last recorded the Rhosus ’ location near this warehouse in 2014 .
Ammonium nitrate is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades .

Nearly 3,000 tons of a highly explosive fertilizer that caused Tuesday’s devastating blast in Beirut came from a ship owned by a Russian businessman, the Mediazona news website reported Wednesday, citing Lebanese television and members of the ship’s crew.
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a statement Tuesday that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a Beirut portside warehouse had blown up, killing at least 100 people and causing widespread damage to the Lebanese capital. The source of the ignition was still unclear, he said.
Lebanese authorities in 2014 confiscated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate from a Moldovan ship called the Rhosus, the country’s LBCI television channel reported overnight, citing sources at a Supreme Defense Council meeting.
The Rhosus is owned by Igor Grechushkin, a Russian national and resident of Cyprus, Mediazona cited the ship’s crew members as saying.
The ship had been traveling from Georgia to Mozambique in 2013 when it experienced a malfunction and made an unscheduled stop in Beirut. Soon after, Grechushkin reportedly declared bankruptcy and "abandoned" the ship there, leaving its crew stranded on the vessel for months before the ammonium nitrate could be offloaded.
The ammonium nitrate had been stored in a warehouse in the port of Beirut since then. The MarineTraffic website last recorded the Rhosus’ location near this warehouse in 2014.
Ammonium nitrate is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-05--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Surpass 866K

Russia's Coronavirus Cases Surpass 866K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow , the western Siberian region of Khanty-Mansiysk and Sverdlovsk in the @ @ @ @ @ rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries , raising speculation that Moscow could @ @ @ @ @ authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military @ @ @ @ @ nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power @ @ @ @ @ were initially postponed due the epidemic .
Moscow opened cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1 @ @ @ @ @ masks are mandatory in stores and on public transport but not in the streets .
@ @ @ @ @ working on a coronavirus vaccine .
The Russian Defense Ministry has said it developed a @ @ @ @ @ clinical trials on a group of volunteers .
The trials are ongoing , and the @ @ @ @ @ to be fully completed in the coming weeks .

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


themoscowtimes--2020-08-05--Russia Resumes Visa-Free Entry for Some Foreigners on Official Visits

Foreigners whose countries have visa-free travel agreements with Russia will once again be able to come to the country for @ @ @ @ @ to a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday .
Russia sealed its @ @ @ @ @ in late March in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Its @ @ @ @ @ categories including diplomats , people traveling for medical treatment and high-demand workers .
The visa-free @ @ @ @ @ holding diplomatic or official passports from a list of 35 countries , not including Europe @ @ @ @ @

Foreigners whose countries have visa-free travel agreements with Russia will once again be able to come to the country for short business trips, according to a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday.
Russia sealed its borders to nearly all foreigners in late March in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Its borders remained open to certain categories including diplomats, people traveling for medical treatment and high-demand workers.
The visa-free business visits apply to foreigners holding diplomatic or official passports from a list of 35 countries, not including Europe or the United States.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-05--Russian Swimmers Complete Eco-Relay Across Lake Baikal

A group of Russians completed an icy swim across Lake Baikal in Siberia on Wednesday in an effort to draw attention to ecological threats facing the world 's largest freshwater lake .
The four men and one woman finished their continuous relay of 55 kilometers ( 34 miles ) spanning the width of the lake and ending near the Siberian city of Irkutsk .
Each swimmer completed 30-minute stints in the water before another participant took over , a necessary precaution with water temperatures plunging as low as 9 degrees Celsius ( 48 Fahrenheit ) .
`` The swim is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baikal , to draw attention to our Baikal , '' one of the swimmers , Andrei Bugai , told AFP on a support boat .
The swimmers donned regular swim attire rather than wetsuits .
`` When the temperature is low , your muscles become really hard and your body is not your own , '' said one of the swimmers Yevgeny Zazyulya .
`` We were n't so ready for this .
It 's an unusual experience . ''
Called `` For Clean Baikal , '' the relay , which took 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wednesday , aimed to draw attention to pollution of Lake Baikal .
Lake Baikal has been suffering from increased algae growth , a boom in tourism , and the effects of forest fires in the surrounding wilderness for many years .
A new threat is looming this year with a new government plan that would allow industrial facilities to operate in the region of the lake , so long as companies receive permission from the federal authorities .
If approved , the new decree would override a ban on most industrial operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 .
The government plan has received over 11,000 negative reviews from the public .
`` If it 's approved in the current form , it will mean anything at all can be built on the Lake Baikal shore '' and permit logging , said environmentalist Mikhail Kreindlin of Greenpeace Russia .

A group of Russians completed an icy swim across Lake Baikal in Siberia on Wednesday in an effort to draw attention to ecological threats facing the world's largest freshwater lake. The four men and one woman finished their continuous relay of 55 kilometers (34 miles) spanning the width of the lake and ending near the Siberian city of Irkutsk.
Each swimmer completed 30-minute stints in the water before another participant took over, a necessary precaution with water temperatures plunging as low as 9 degrees Celsius (48 Fahrenheit). "The swim is dedicated to the ecology and purity of Baikal, to draw attention to our Baikal," one of the swimmers, Andrei Bugai, told AFP on a support boat. The swimmers donned regular swim attire rather than wetsuits. "When the temperature is low, your muscles become really hard and your body is not your own," said one of the swimmers Yevgeny Zazyulya. "We weren't so ready for this. It's an unusual experience." Called "For Clean Baikal," the relay, which took 18 hours and finished in the early hours of Wednesday, aimed to draw attention to pollution of Lake Baikal.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-06--Belarus Leader Says U.S. Nationals Detained Ahead of Election

Belarus has arrested a number of U.S. nationals , its President Alexander Lukashenko said days before the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ cracked down on the Belarusian opposition as Lukashenko seeks a sixth term in office , @ @ @ @ @ than 1,300 people have been detained .
“ Some people were detained with American passports @ @ @ @ @ working in the State Department , ” Belarus ’ state-run Belta news agency quoted Lukashenko @ @ @

Belarus has arrested a number of U.S. nationals, its President Alexander Lukashenko said days before the country’s presidential election.
Authorities have cracked down on the Belarusian opposition as Lukashenko seeks a sixth term in office, with rights groups saying more than 1,300 people have been detained.
“Some people were detained with American passports, married to Americans, working in the State Department,” Belarus’ state-run Belta news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.