themoscowtimes--2020-08-07--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Rise to Nearly 880K

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--2020-08-07--Moscow City Workers, Medics to Have Early Coronavirus Vaccine Access – Bloomberg

Moscow city government employees and healthcare workers are being offered early access to Russia ’ s coronavirus vaccine as the @ @ @ @ @ it says is the world ’ s first Covid-19 vaccine , Bloomberg reported Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ said Russia aims to launch mass production of a coronavirus vaccine next month and produce @ @ @ @ @ per month by next year .
One vaccine , developed by the state-run Gamaleya institute @ @ @ @ @ official registration in the coming days .
At least one Moscow hospital is compiling lists @ @ @ @ @ receive the Gamaleya vaccine , Bloomberg cited an unnamed doctor who received an invitation as @ @ @ @ @ official told Bloomberg that similar invitations seeking vaccine volunteers had been sent to staff there @

Moscow city government employees and healthcare workers are being offered early access to Russia’s coronavirus vaccine as the country rushes to approve what it says is the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
Officials in recent weeks have said Russia aims to launch mass production of a coronavirus vaccine next month and produce "several million" doses per month by next year. One vaccine, developed by the state-run Gamaleya institute, is set to receive official registration in the coming days.
At least one Moscow hospital is compiling lists of employees who want to receive the Gamaleya vaccine, Bloomberg cited an unnamed doctor who received an invitation as saying. A city government official told Bloomberg that similar invitations seeking vaccine volunteers had been sent to staff there.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-07--Russian Virologist Questions Safety of Country’s Coronavirus Vaccine

Russia is one of several countries racing to develop a vaccine to halt the disease that has killed more than 700,000 people and slammed the global economy .
One vaccine , developed by the state-run Gamaleya institute , is set to receive official registration in the coming days amid its final phase of clinical testing .
A Russian virologist has questioned the country ’ s swiftly developed coronavirus vaccine , warning that it could be dangerous for people who have antibodies against the virus .
“ The danger is there … in terms of the possibility of increasing the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong vaccine , ” Alexander Chepurnov , a former head of infectious diseases at Vektor , told the Podyom Telegram channel Friday .
Based in Siberia , Vektor is one of three labs developing Russia ’ s prototype vaccines .
“ With some diseases —and for the coronavirus , this is already known — the infection can intensify with the presence of certain antibodies , ” he said .
“ So it should be known which antibodies the vaccine forms.
” He pointed to the lack of available information and data about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red flag .
“ Until I see studies and scientific publications that say how the vaccine was studied , what level of neutralization is formed , what doses of the virus it protects against and , most importantly , whether it is developing the ability to increase infection by antibodies , it is impossible to talk about the release of a vaccine , ” he said .
Gamaleya 's vaccine is a so-called viral vector vaccine , meaning it employs another virus to carry the DNA encoding the necessary immune response into cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the common cold .
The World Health Organization this week raised concerns over the vaccine after Moscow said it aims to launch mass production next month , stressing that all vaccine candidates should go through the full stages of testing before being rolled out .

Russia is one of several countries racing to develop a vaccine to halt the disease that has killed more than 700,000 people and slammed the global economy. One vaccine, developed by the state-run Gamaleya institute, is set to receive official registration in the coming days amid its final phase of clinical testing.
A Russian virologist has questioned the country’s swiftly developed coronavirus vaccine, warning that it could be dangerous for people who have antibodies against the virus.
“The danger is there … in terms of the possibility of increasing the disease[‘s severity] with the wrong vaccine,” Alexander Chepurnov, a former head of infectious diseases at Vektor, told the Podyom Telegram channel Friday.
Based in Siberia, Vektor is one of three labs developing Russia’s prototype vaccines.
“With some diseases —and for the coronavirus, this is already known — the infection can intensify with the presence of certain antibodies,” he said. “So it should be known which antibodies the vaccine forms.”
He pointed to the lack of available information and data about the vaccine’s clinical trials as a red flag.
“Until I see studies and scientific publications that say how the vaccine was studied, what level of neutralization is formed, what doses of the virus it protects against and, most importantly, whether it is developing the ability to increase infection by antibodies, it is impossible to talk about the release of a vaccine,” he said.
Gamaleya's vaccine is a so-called viral vector vaccine, meaning it employs another virus to carry the DNA encoding the necessary immune response into cells. It is based on the adenovirus, the common cold.
The World Health Organization this week raised concerns over the vaccine after Moscow said it aims to launch mass production next month, stressing that all vaccine candidates should go through the full stages of testing before being rolled out.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-08--Belarus Detains Opposition Campaign Manager Before Tense Presidential Ballot

The campaign manager of Belarus 's leading opposition candidate was detained on Saturday on the eve of a tense presidential vote , her office said .
A spokeswoman for presidential hopeful Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP that Maria Moroz had been detained and was expected to be held until Monday .
It was not immediately clear on what grounds she had been detained , said spokeswoman Anna Krasulina .
`` She probably wo n't be released before Monday , '' Krasulina said .
Moroz was also detained by the interior ministry on Thursday after visiting the Lithuanian embassy in Minsk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidential election on Sunday with Tikhanovskaya posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko .
The 65-year-old leader has headed the ex-Soviet country bordering Russia since 1994 and Sunday 's polls are expected to hand him his sixth term .
Lukashenko has presided over an aggressive crackdown on the opposition and Tikhanovskaya has charged that he will rig the vote .
Early voting began in the country of 9.5 million people on Tuesday , with official turnout over the past four days already at more than 32 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies throughout the country after she was allowed to participate in place of her husband who was jailed and barred from running .
Lukashenko , who is Europe 's longest-serving leader , jailed two of his main rivals in the elections while another would-be candidate fled the country .
The strongman has accused Moscow and Western countries of meddling in the elections and last week his security service detained more than 30 Russians who the authorities said were plotting violent protests with members of the opposition .
Belarusian authorities also detained Vitali Shkliarov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Belarus and worked on the US presidential bids of Bernie Sanders and advised the Russian opposition .
His lawyer said Saturday that Shkliarov had been charged with helping organise mass unrest in Belarus and faces up to three years in prison , if convicted .

The campaign manager of Belarus's leading opposition candidate was detained on Saturday on the eve of a tense presidential vote, her office said. A spokeswoman for presidential hopeful Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP that Maria Moroz had been detained and was expected to be held until Monday. It was not immediately clear on what grounds she had been detained, said spokeswoman Anna Krasulina. "She probably won't be released before Monday," Krasulina said.
Moroz was also detained by the interior ministry on Thursday after visiting the Lithuanian embassy in Minsk. She was later released. Belarus holds the presidential election on Sunday with Tikhanovskaya posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko. The 65-year-old leader has headed the ex-Soviet country bordering Russia since 1994 and Sunday's polls are expected to hand him his sixth term. Lukashenko has presided over an aggressive crackdown on the opposition and Tikhanovskaya has charged that he will rig the vote. Early voting began in the country of 9.5 million people on Tuesday, with official turnout over the past four days already at more than 32%.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-08--Russian Activists Detained Heading to Observe Belarus Vote

Three Russian opposition activists were detained Saturday as they travelled to Belarus to observe a tense presidential election there , @ @ @ @ @ Pivovarov and two other members of Open Russia , an opposition group established by self-exiled @ @ @ @ @ were taken off a bus in the western Pskov region , the group said .
@ @ @ @ @ director who is a prominent Kremlin critic , and two activists `` have been detained @ @ @ @ @ any explanation , '' the group 's chairperson Anastasia Burakova said in a statement on @ @ @ @ @ Several hours later Pivovarov resurfaced , still detained , in the neighbouring Smolensk region , @ @ @ @ @ he was accused of disobeying border guards .

Three Russian opposition activists were detained Saturday as they travelled to Belarus to observe a tense presidential election there, the group said.
Andrei Pivovarov and two other members of Open Russia, an opposition group established by self-exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, were taken off a bus in the western Pskov region, the group said.
Pivovarov, Open Russia executive director who is a prominent Kremlin critic, and two activists "have been detained by Russian border guards without any explanation," the group's chairperson Anastasia Burakova said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Several hours later Pivovarov resurfaced, still detained, in the neighbouring Smolensk region, said Burakova, adding that he was accused of disobeying border guards.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-08--Tens of Thousands Continue to Rally in Fresh Khabarovsk Protest

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Russia 's Far East for a fifth consecutive weekend as anti-Kremlin rallies showed little sign of dying down on Saturday .
The rallies in the city of some 600,000 people on the border with China is a major show of defiance against Moscow 's policies and present a headache for President Vladimir Putin , observers say .
The demonstrations were sparked by the sudden arrest of Khabarovsk 's popular governor in a murder probe but has since acquired a wider , distinctly anti-Kremlin agenda .
Protesters demand that regional governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Khabarovsk .
Putin last month dismissed Furgal over a `` loss of confidence '' in his ability to govern and appointed a controversial new official in his place .
Protesters said they were incensed by what they call a blatant disregard for their feelings and opinions .
Elena Ogly , 38 , said that the Kremlin should either fulfil protesters ' demand or face a long-term opposition movement .
`` We elected him honestly .
We love him , '' said Ogly , referring to Furgal .
`` I think that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president gives us his answer or will not stop at all , '' she told AFP .
Furgal 's supporters say the charges against him are political and payback for his popularity .
In 2018 , he won the governor 's seat from a representative of the ruling United Russia party who was backed by Putin .
Entrepreneur Yevgeny Savinov suggested that protests could spread across the country because Russians are `` fed up '' with `` corruption , lies , and propaganda . ''
`` This will only grow and spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In recent weeks people in a number of Russian cities and towns took to the streets in support of Khabarovsk protesters but those rallies were not massive .
Several Moscow-based activists have called on Russians to take to the streets across the country on August 15 .
Observers say that anger at the Kremlin is building over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and falling incomes but it remains unclear if Russians across the country are ready to take to the streets en masse .
In a statement , regional authorities claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down and said that just 2,800 people turned up in the city 's central square on Saturday .
But witnesses and participants said that tens of thousands took part in a march across the city .
High-profile local activist Alexei Vorsin suggested that at least 50,000 people were present .

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Russia's Far East for a fifth consecutive weekend as anti-Kremlin rallies showed little sign of dying down on Saturday. The rallies in the city of some 600,000 people on the border with China is a major show of defiance against Moscow's policies and present a headache for President Vladimir Putin, observers say. The demonstrations were sparked by the sudden arrest of Khabarovsk's popular governor in a murder probe but has since acquired a wider, distinctly anti-Kremlin agenda. Protesters demand that regional governor Sergei Furgal be either released or tried in Khabarovsk.
Putin last month dismissed Furgal over a "loss of confidence" in his ability to govern and appointed a controversial new official in his place. Protesters said they were incensed by what they call a blatant disregard for their feelings and opinions. Elena Ogly, 38, said that the Kremlin should either fulfil protesters' demand or face a long-term opposition movement. "We elected him honestly. We love him," said Ogly, referring to Furgal. "I think that this will either grind to a halt when the president gives us his answer or will not stop at all," she told AFP. Furgal's supporters say the charges against him are political and payback for his popularity. In 2018, he won the governor's seat from a representative of the ruling United Russia party who was backed by Putin. Entrepreneur Yevgeny Savinov suggested that protests could spread across the country because Russians are "fed up" with "corruption, lies, and propaganda." "This will only grow and spread across Russia," the 37-year-old said.
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