themoscowtimes--2020-01-15--Putin Shake-Up Could Keep Him in Power Past 2024 as PM, Cabinet Step Aside

Most importantly , Putin suggested diminishing the powers of the presidency and beefing up those of the prime minister .
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes on Wednesday that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after leaving the presidency , and picked a new prime minister after Dmitry Medvedev and his cabinet stepped down .
The dramatic moves were widely seen as preparing the ground for 2024 , when Putin , now 67 , is obliged to leave the presidency after occupying the Kremlin or the prime minister 's job continuously since 1999 .
Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tax service , as the next prime minister .
Mishustin , who will be quizzed by parliament on Thursday , has played ice hockey with Putin but has little public profile and had not been spoken of as a possible candidate .
He will inevitably be viewed as a possible successor to a shrunken presidency , as will members of his cabinet , many of whom are expected to be new to government .
Critics have long accused Putin , a former KGB officer , of plotting to stay on in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power over the world 's largest nation — and one of its two biggest nuclear powers .
His proposals , which he suggested should be put to a referendum , would give him the option of taking an enhanced role as prime minister after 2024 or a new role as head of the State Council , an official body he said he was keen to build up .
He could even become speaker of a new , supercharged parliament .
Opposition politician Leonid Volkov said it looked as though Putin was digging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everything is going exclusively towards setting Putin up to rule for life , '' he wrote on social media .
Dmitry Gudkov , another opposition politician , said Putin , re-elected last year for his fourth term , had decided to re-arrange everything around him now rather than wait until closer to 2024 .
`` Constitutional coups like this occur and are completely legal , '' wrote Gudkov .
Under the current constitution , which sets a maximum of two successive terms , Putin is barred from immediately running again , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian political life without him .
It was unclear when a referendum on the changes might be held or when the changes could take effect , but Putin told the political elite in his annual state-of-the-nation speech that he wanted the State Duma , the lower house of parliament , to have the power to choose the prime minister and other key positions .
`` It would increase the role and significance of the country 's parliament ... of parliamentary parties , and the independence and responsibility of the prime minister , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the changes in his annual state-of-the-nation speech , Medvedev said he was stepping down as prime minister to give Putin room to carry out his plans .
Putin thanked Medvedev , a longtime ally , for what he had achieved , adding , perhaps with an eye on complaints about Russia 's listless economy : `` Not everything worked out of course — but then , nothing ever works out totally . ''
Putin said Medvedev would take on a new job as deputy head of Russia 's Security Council , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Russians who see him as a welcome source of stability , even as others complain that he has been in power for too long , that their pensions and standard of living are being steadily eroded , and that poverty is widespread and healthcare poor .
Dmitri Trenin , head of the Moscow Carnegie Center , said Putin appeared to be moving to limit the power of a presidential successor .
Trenin also tweeted : `` Mikhail # Mishustin ’ s elevation to Russia 's PM is designed to get more competent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus on all-important domestic agenda .
Medvedev 's career is n't over , Putin still needs him in transition scenario .
He remains what he 's always been : ( Putin 's ) alter ego . ''
Medvedev 's resignation took Russian markets by surprise .
The ruble and stocks suffered sharp losses before rebounding to make gains amid the uncertainty .
`` In a nutshell , we take this announcement as an attempt by Putin to shake up Russia 's polity and refocus the administration on implementing the president 's well-telegraphed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Citi said in a note .
The ruble dropped to 61.81 to the dollar after the news reports about the government but soon regained ground to stand little changed at 1800 GMT .
Against the euro , the ruble briefly dropped to 68.86 , but recovered to stand 0.3 % higher at 68.58 by 1810 .
The dollar-denominated RTS share index fell 1 % on the day minutes after the resignation reports , but rebounded to finish 0.17 % lower .
The rouble-based MOEX Russian share index closed up 0.1 % .

Most importantly, Putin suggested diminishing the powers of the presidency and beefing up those of the prime minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes on Wednesday that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after leaving the presidency, and picked a new prime minister after Dmitry Medvedev and his cabinet stepped down.
The dramatic moves were widely seen as preparing the ground for 2024, when Putin, now 67, is obliged to leave the presidency after occupying the Kremlin or the prime minister's job continuously since 1999.
Putin nominated Mikhail Mishustin, 53-year-old head of the tax service, as the next prime minister. Mishustin, who will be quizzed by parliament on Thursday, has played ice hockey with Putin but has little public profile and had not been spoken of as a possible candidate.
He will inevitably be viewed as a possible successor to a shrunken presidency, as will members of his cabinet, many of whom are expected to be new to government.
Critics have long accused Putin, a former KGB officer, of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends to wield power over the world's largest nation — and one of its two biggest nuclear powers.
His proposals, which he suggested should be put to a referendum, would give him the option of taking an enhanced role as prime minister after 2024 or a new role as head of the State Council, an official body he said he was keen to build up. He could even become speaker of a new, supercharged parliament.
Opposition politician Leonid Volkov said it looked as though Putin was digging in.
'Legal coup'
"It's clear to everyone that everything is going exclusively towards setting Putin up to rule for life," he wrote on social media.
Dmitry Gudkov, another opposition politician, said Putin, re-elected last year for his fourth term, had decided to re-arrange everything around him now rather than wait until closer to 2024.
"Constitutional coups like this occur and are completely legal," wrote Gudkov.
Under the current constitution, which sets a maximum of two successive terms, Putin is barred from immediately running again, but his supporters find it hard to imagine Russian political life without him.
It was unclear when a referendum on the changes might be held or when the changes could take effect, but Putin told the political elite in his annual state-of-the-nation speech that he wanted the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, to have the power to choose the prime minister and other key positions.
"It would increase the role and significance of the country's parliament ... of parliamentary parties, and the independence and responsibility of the prime minister," he said.
Hours after Putin set out the changes in his annual state-of-the-nation speech, Medvedev said he was stepping down as prime minister to give Putin room to carry out his plans.
Putin thanked Medvedev, a longtime ally, for what he had achieved, adding, perhaps with an eye on complaints about Russia's listless economy: "Not everything worked out of course — but then, nothing ever works out totally."
Putin said Medvedev would take on a new job as deputy head of Russia's Security Council, which Putin chairs.
Domestic agenda
Putin remains popular with many Russians who see him as a welcome source of stability, even as others complain that he has been in power for too long, that their pensions and standard of living are being steadily eroded, and that poverty is widespread and healthcare poor.
Dmitri Trenin, head of the Moscow Carnegie Center, said Putin appeared to be moving to limit the power of a presidential successor.
Trenin also tweeted: "Mikhail #Mishustin’s elevation to Russia's PM is designed to get more competent leadership in Cabinet, which will have to focus on all-important domestic agenda. Medvedev's career isn't over, Putin still needs him in transition scenario. He remains what he's always been: (Putin's) alter ego."
Medvedev's resignation took Russian markets by surprise. The ruble and stocks suffered sharp losses before rebounding to make gains amid the uncertainty.
"In a nutshell, we take this announcement as an attempt by Putin to shake up Russia's polity and refocus the administration on implementing the president's well-telegraphed but slowly progressing public spending program," Citi said in a note.
The ruble dropped to 61.81 to the dollar after the news reports about the government but soon regained ground to stand little changed at 1800 GMT.
Against the euro, the ruble briefly dropped to 68.86 , but recovered to stand 0.3% higher at 68.58 by 1810.
The dollar-denominated RTS share index fell 1% on the day minutes after the resignation reports, but rebounded to finish 0.17% lower. The rouble-based MOEX Russian share index closed up 0.1%.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-15--Russia Seizes Japanese Fishing Boat Near Disputed Islands

Six fishermen were on the boat but further details were not known , an official at Habomai fishermen 's cooperative @ @ @ @ @ region of Hokkaido , said .
Russian authorities have seized a Japanese cod fishing boat @ @ @ @ @ Russian-controlled island claimed by Japan , media reports and a fishermen 's association said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ by Russian border guards and was taken to a port at Kunashiri island , Kyodo @ @ @ @ @ NHK reported .
There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities .
Kunashiri island is @ @ @ @ @ islands off Hokkaido , which Japan calls the Northern Territories , known as the Southern @ @ @ @ @ seizure of the Japanese vessel came after Russia last month released five Japanese fishing boats @ @ @ @ @ by Japan .

Six fishermen were on the boat but further details were not known, an official at Habomai fishermen's cooperative association in Japan's northern region of Hokkaido, said.
Russian authorities have seized a Japanese cod fishing boat and taken it to a Russian-controlled island claimed by Japan, media reports and a fishermen's association said Wednesday.
The boat was inspected by Russian border guards and was taken to a port at Kunashiri island, Kyodo news agency and public broadcaster NHK reported.
There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities.
Kunashiri island is one of the four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia.
The seizure of the Japanese vessel came after Russia last month released five Japanese fishing boats detained near Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Russian Lawmakers Approve Mishustin as New PM

Russia 's lawmakers approved Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister on Thursday in a lower house vote , less than 24 @ @ @ @ @ nominated him for the role .
Mishustin received 383 votes of 424 cast , with @ @ @ @ @ abstentions in a victory that had been all but assured when he won the unanimous @ @ @ @ @ United Russia , which has a strong majority in the chamber .
Mishustin 's elevation @ @ @ @ @ shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday , which led to the @ @ @ @ @ prime minister along with his government .

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister, shortly after the former head of the tax service won the backing of parliament.
Mishustin received 383 votes of 424 cast by Russia's lower house of parliament, with no votes against and 41 abstentions — a victory that had been all but assured when he won the unanimous backing of his party, United Russia, which has a strong majority in the chamber.
Mishustin's elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--'Not Everything Works Out': Medvedev's Career, in Photos

Russia ’ s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his and his cabinet 's resignation on Wednesday just hours after President Vladimir Putin delivered his state of the nation speech .
The resignation of longtime Putin ally Medvedev , 54 , came as an unexpected move to many .
It is widely seen as a move that will give Putin room to reshape Russia 's political structure before he is required to leave the presidency in 2024 .
During his time as both prime minister and president of Russia , Medvedev ’ s reputation stemmed not just from his work as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject of his fair share of memes — as well as the subject of a high-profile corruption investigation that rocked the country .
As Medvedev resigned , Putin thanked him for what he had achieved , adding : `` Not everything worked out of course — but then , nothing ever works out totally . ''
The newly resigned prime minister will now serve as deputy head of Russia 's Security Council , which Putin chairs .
Here 's a look back at the most memorable moments of Medvedev ’ s presidency @ @ @

'Not Everything Works Out': Medvedev's Career, in Photos
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his and his cabinet's resignation on Wednesday just hours after President Vladimir Putin delivered his state of the nation speech.
The resignation of longtime Putin ally Medvedev, 54, came as an unexpected move to many. It is widely seen as a move that will give Putin room to reshape Russia's political structure before he is required to leave the presidency in 2024.
During his time as both prime minister and president of Russia, Medvedev’s reputation stemmed not just from his work as a government official. Medvedev has been the subject of his fair share of memes — as well as the subject of a high-profile corruption investigation that rocked the country.
As Medvedev resigned, Putin thanked him for what he had achieved, adding: "Not everything worked out of course — but then, nothing ever works out totally." The newly resigned prime minister will now serve as deputy head of Russia's Security Council, which Putin chairs.
Here's a look back at the most memorable moments of Medvedev’s presidency and premiership:


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Russian Economic Officials Cancel Keynote Speeches Amid Reshuffle

Russia 's top economic officials have canceled keynote speeches they were due to make at the country 's first economic forum of 2020 , an updated schedule showed on Thursday , a day after the government quit amid plans for a constitutional shakeup .
President Vladimir Putin proposed changes on Wednesday that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after he leaves the presidency in 2024 .
He also proposed the head of the Federal Tax Service , Mikhail Mishustin , as his new prime minister , replacing veteran Putin loyalist Dmitry Medvedev .
The Russian State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was expected to approve Mishustin later on Thursday as prime minister .
The ruble weakened slightly as investors awaited announcements on his new cabinet line-up .
The changes come as Russia battles poor economic growth and volatile oil prices as Western sanctions , imposed in 2014 over Moscow 's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine , continue to weigh .
Sergei Neverov , a Russian lawmaker , was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as saying that Mishustin had promised lawmakers changes to the cabinet but provided no specifics .
Market players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Finance Minister Anton Siluanov , who along with Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina has won praise for preserving macroeconomic stability since the West imposed sanctions .
Another important figure is Alexander Novak , the energy minister and one of the key players in the global oil production agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC nations .
Siluanov , Nabiullina and Alexei Kudrin , head of the Audit Chamber had all been due to speak at Thursday 's plenary discussion — entitled `` What hinders economic growth ? ''
— of the annual Gaidar Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session , have traditionally helped to set the year 's economic agenda .
The plenary discussion — which had been due to touch on a range of key issues including economic growth , infrastructure and healthcare — was removed from the forum 's schedule on Thursday morning .
A source familiar with the schedule of one of the session 's speakers said the discussion had been cancelled and that his boss was invited to attend the Duma vote on Mishustin 's candidacy .
It was not immediately clear if other ministers had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dmitry Sokolov declined to comment on why the session had been canceled .

Russia's top economic officials have canceled keynote speeches they were due to make at the country's first economic forum of 2020, an updated schedule showed on Thursday, a day after the government quit amid plans for a constitutional shakeup. President Vladimir Putin proposed changes on Wednesday that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after he leaves the presidency in 2024. He also proposed the head of the Federal Tax Service, Mikhail Mishustin, as his new prime minister, replacing veteran Putin loyalist Dmitry Medvedev.
The Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, was expected to approve Mishustin later on Thursday as prime minister. The ruble weakened slightly as investors awaited announcements on his new cabinet line-up. The changes come as Russia battles poor economic growth and volatile oil prices as Western sanctions, imposed in 2014 over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, continue to weigh. Sergei Neverov, a Russian lawmaker, was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as saying that Mishustin had promised lawmakers changes to the cabinet but provided no specifics. Market players are focusing in particular on the fate of Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who along with Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina has won praise for preserving macroeconomic stability since the West imposed sanctions. Another important figure is Alexander Novak, the energy minister and one of the key players in the global oil production agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC nations.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--What Changes Is Putin Planning for Russia’s Constitution?

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced several constitutional amendments in the closing minutes of his annual state of the nation address @ @ @ @ @ the package of amendments should be put to a nationwide vote , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ not entail a referendum .

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced several constitutional amendments in the closing minutes of his annual state of the nation address Wednesday.
While Putin said the package of amendments should be put to a nationwide vote, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that vote does not entail a referendum.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Bailiff Killed, Witness Injured in Siberian Courthouse Shooting

The 45-year-old shooter armed with a rifle critically wounded a 45-year-old bailiff and a 43-year-old female witness inside a Novokuznetsk magistrates ’ court , regional investigators said in a statement .
The bailiff later died from his injuries in the hospital .
An unnamed shooter has opened fire inside a courthouse in the Siberian mining city of Novokuznetsk , killing a bailiff and injuring a witness , authorities said Thursday .
The unnamed suspect was detained and charged with murder , the Kemerovo region ’ s Investigative Committee said .
Doctors operated on the woman for two and a half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .
She remains in “ serious but stable ” condition and is likely to recover , they were quoted as saying .
The alleged shooter had been named a victim in a criminal case , Interfax cited an unnamed source as saying .
That case involved alleged destruction of property , the local city-n.ru news website reported , citing an unnamed source .
“ The man and the woman were given a chance to reconcile their differences in a separate room , ” the news site reported .
“ They were unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went outside , got his weapon and went back to court , ” it added .

The 45-year-old shooter armed with a rifle critically wounded a 45-year-old bailiff and a 43-year-old female witness inside a Novokuznetsk magistrates’ court, regional investigators said in a statement. The bailiff later died from his injuries in the hospital.
An unnamed shooter has opened fire inside a courthouse in the Siberian mining city of Novokuznetsk, killing a bailiff and injuring a witness, authorities said Thursday.
The unnamed suspect was detained and charged with murder, the Kemerovo region’s Investigative Committee said.
Doctors operated on the woman for two and a half hours, medics told the RBC news website. She remains in “serious but stable” condition and is likely to recover, they were quoted as saying.
The alleged shooter had been named a victim in a criminal case, Interfax cited an unnamed source as saying.
That case involved alleged destruction of property, the local city-n.ru news website reported, citing an unnamed source.
“The man and the woman were given a chance to reconcile their differences in a separate room,” the news site reported.
“They were unable to come to terms. The man went outside, got his weapon and went back to court,” it added.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Russia's Ruling Party Approves Mishustin as PM

Mishustin 's elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday , which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government .
The changes are widely seen as giving Putin , 67 , scope to extend his grip on power once he leaves the presidency in 2024 .
He has dominated Russian politics , as president or as prime minister , for two decades .
Russia 's State Duma , the lower house of parliament , is expected to vote on Mishustin 's candidacy later on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Russia , the ruling party , has a majority in the Duma , meaning Mishustin 's confirmation , barring an unexpected upset , is assured .
Mishustin , 53 , ran the country 's tax service where he won praise for dramatically improving tax collection .
Addressing the State Duma on Thursday , Mishustin spoke of preserving Russia 's macroeconomic stability , of keeping inflation at around 4 % and said work on 'national projects , ' Putin 's flagship economic development program when he ran for a fourth term in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critics have long accused Putin , a former KGB officer , of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends and continue to wield power over the world 's largest nation , which is also one of its two leading nuclear powers .
The constitutional reform proposals , which he set out on Wednesday and suggested should be put to a referendum , would give him the option of taking an enhanced role as prime minister after 2024 or a new role as head of the State Council , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keen to build up .
Putin could even become speaker of a new , supercharged parliament .
Opposition politician Leonid Volkov said it looked as though Putin was digging in .
`` It 's clear to everyone that everything is going exclusively towards setting Putin up to rule for life , '' he wrote on social media .
The Kommersant business daily on Thursday called Putin 's shake-up `` the January revolution . ''
The proposals looked , Kommersant wrote , like the start of many more changes to come .
Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two successive terms , Putin is barred from immediately running again for the presidency in 2024 , but his supporters find it hard to imagine Russian political life without him .
Putin remains popular with many Russians who see him as a welcome source of stability , even as others complain that he has been in power for too long , that their pensions and standard of living are being steadily eroded , and that poverty is widespread and healthcare poor .

Mishustin's elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.
The changes are widely seen as giving Putin, 67, scope to extend his grip on power once he leaves the presidency in 2024. He has dominated Russian politics, as president or as prime minister, for two decades.
Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, is expected to vote on Mishustin's candidacy later on Thursday after he has addressed the chamber. United Russia, the ruling party, has a majority in the Duma, meaning Mishustin's confirmation, barring an unexpected upset, is assured.
Mishustin, 53, ran the country's tax service where he won praise for dramatically improving tax collection.
Addressing the State Duma on Thursday, Mishustin spoke of preserving Russia's macroeconomic stability, of keeping inflation at around 4% and said work on 'national projects,' Putin's flagship economic development program when he ran for a fourth term in office in 2018, must be sped up.
Critics have long accused Putin, a former KGB officer, of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends and continue to wield power over the world's largest nation, which is also one of its two leading nuclear powers.
The constitutional reform proposals, which he set out on Wednesday and suggested should be put to a referendum, would give him the option of taking an enhanced role as prime minister after 2024 or a new role as head of the State Council, an official body he said he was keen to build up. Putin could even become speaker of a new, supercharged parliament.
Putin to "rule for life"?
Opposition politician Leonid Volkov said it looked as though Putin was digging in.
"It's clear to everyone that everything is going exclusively towards setting Putin up to rule for life," he wrote on social media.
The Kommersant business daily on Thursday called Putin's shake-up "the January revolution." The proposals looked, Kommersant wrote, like the start of many more changes to come.
Under the current constitution, which sets a maximum of two successive terms, Putin is barred from immediately running again for the presidency in 2024, but his supporters find it hard to imagine Russian political life without him.
Putin remains popular with many Russians who see him as a welcome source of stability, even as others complain that he has been in power for too long, that their pensions and standard of living are being steadily eroded, and that poverty is widespread and healthcare poor.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Chechnya’s Kadyrov ‘Temporarily Incapacitated’

Kadyrov , 43 , announced a similar brief transfer of power in February 2019 , later explaining that he was recovering from a common cold .
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has ceded power as head of the southern Russian region due to a “ temporary disability , ” according to a decree on the regional government ’ s website dated Monday .
“ I entrust the duties of the head of the republic of Chechnya to head of government Muslim Khuchiyev for the period of my temporary disability , ” Kadyrov wrote in the latest decree .
Kadyrov is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his spokesman Alvi Karimov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Thursday .
Karimov explained that temporary transfers of power are “ a common practice used in all regions ” across Russia .
News of the Chechen leader ’ s Jan. 13 announcement began circulating Wednesday , when Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev unexpectedly announced his cabinet ’ s resignation to allow President Vladimir Putin enact constitutional amendments he had announced earlier in the day .
Kadyrov posted a thank-you message to “ the wise , mature and strong politician ” Medvedev that evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Chechen administration ’ s website .
Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya , which was devastated by two bloody separatist conflicts in the 1990s and early 2000s , since he was formally appointed its leader in 2007 .
Critics accuse him of carving out a state within a state , enforcing a strict Islamic “ code of virtue ” for women and committing human rights abuses including systemic torture and extrajudicial killings .

Kadyrov, 43, announced a similar brief transfer of power in February 2019, later explaining that he was recovering from a common cold.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has ceded power as head of the southern Russian region due to a “temporary disability,” according to a decree on the regional government’s website dated Monday.
“I entrust the duties of the head of the republic of Chechnya to head of government Muslim Khuchiyev for the period of my temporary disability,” Kadyrov wrote in the latest decree.
Kadyrov is “undergoing treatment requiring medical procedures,” his spokesman Alvi Karimov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Thursday.
Karimov explained that temporary transfers of power are “a common practice used in all regions” across Russia.
News of the Chechen leader’s Jan. 13 announcement began circulating Wednesday, when Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev unexpectedly announced his cabinet’s resignation to allow President Vladimir Putin enact constitutional amendments he had announced earlier in the day.
Kadyrov posted a thank-you message to “the wise, mature and strong politician” Medvedev that evening, a message which was also carried on the Chechen administration’s website.
Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya, which was devastated by two bloody separatist conflicts in the 1990s and early 2000s, since he was formally appointed its leader in 2007.
Critics accuse him of carving out a state within a state, enforcing a strict Islamic “code of virtue” for women and committing human rights abuses including systemic torture and extrajudicial killings.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-15--'Technocratic Placeholder'? Putin Picks Little-Known Tax Chief as Russian PM

The Kremlin-dominated lower house of parliament , which rarely opposes Putin on important issues , is due to decide whether to approve Mishustin on Thursday .
Mikhail Mishustin , President Vladimir Putin 's surprise choice to become Russia 's prime minister , is a tax chief with almost no political profile who analysts say could be a `` technocratic placeholder . ''
Mishustin , 53 , has been the head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010 and has worked in government roles related to tax collection since the early days of his career .
He has won praise for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubling tax revenues in the past decade , with 20.4 trillion rubles ( $ 331.92 billion ) collected in the first 11 months of last year .
The majority of those revenues still come from taxes on the vast energy sector but an increasing share now comes from other forms of taxation after an efficiency drive .
Despite these successes , Mishustin 's name had not appeared in many lists of potential candidates for the post .
`` Mishustin does not have any political experience or popularity with the electorate , and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Tatiana Stanovaya , nonresident dcholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center , wrote on social media .
She said Mishustin would be unlikely to run in the presidential election due when Putin 's fourth term ends in 2024 , adding : `` ( It ) seems highly likely that Mishustin is just a technocratic placeholder . ''
Russia has had technocrats as prime minister before , including when Putin was cementing his grip on power after 2000 .
`` ( Mishustin ) looks a lot like the technocratic premiers ... of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dmitry Medvedev , a Putin ally , stepped down as prime minister on Wednesday , making way for constitutional changes which would give Putin scope to extend his hold on power after leaving the presidency .
Putin also suggested diminishing the powers of the presidency and beefing up those of the prime minister .
Like Putin , Mishustin enjoys ice hockey and is on the boards of CSKA Moscow ice hockey club and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation .
An engineer by training , Mishustin joined the government tax service in 1998 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister from 1999 to 2004 .
Market participants credit a background in the tech sector for his success in bringing taxation in Russia into the digital age .
Payments for both individuals and businesses have become simpler and a predominantly online process .
Digitalization has also led to a drop in tax evasion and a reduced role for the shadow economy , with many small and medium enterprises beginning to pay taxes .
Mishustin told the Vedomosti business daily in 2018 he did not see a return to the private sector .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me , I would work in innovations , with new technologies , in the same field as I have always worked : transformation , related to the digital economy , '' he said .

The Kremlin-dominated lower house of parliament, which rarely opposes Putin on important issues, is due to decide whether to approve Mishustin on Thursday.
Mikhail Mishustin, President Vladimir Putin's surprise choice to become Russia's prime minister, is a tax chief with almost no political profile who analysts say could be a "technocratic placeholder."
Mishustin, 53, has been the head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010 and has worked in government roles related to tax collection since the early days of his career.
He has won praise for improving tax collection processes and more than doubling tax revenues in the past decade, with 20.4 trillion rubles ($331.92 billion) collected in the first 11 months of last year.
The majority of those revenues still come from taxes on the vast energy sector but an increasing share now comes from other forms of taxation after an efficiency drive.
Despite these successes, Mishustin's name had not appeared in many lists of potential candidates for the post.
"Mishustin does not have any political experience or popularity with the electorate, and is not part of Putin's inner circle," Tatiana Stanovaya, nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote on social media.
She said Mishustin would be unlikely to run in the presidential election due when Putin's fourth term ends in 2024, adding: "(It) seems highly likely that Mishustin is just a technocratic placeholder."
Russia has had technocrats as prime minister before, including when Putin was cementing his grip on power after 2000.
"(Mishustin) looks a lot like the technocratic premiers... of the early 2000s," Stanovaya said.
Ice hockey and engineering
Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally, stepped down as prime minister on Wednesday, making way for constitutional changes which would give Putin scope to extend his hold on power after leaving the presidency. Putin also suggested diminishing the powers of the presidency and beefing up those of the prime minister.
Like Putin, Mishustin enjoys ice hockey and is on the boards of CSKA Moscow ice hockey club and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.
An engineer by training, Mishustin joined the government tax service in 1998 and spent five years as a deputy tax minister from 1999 to 2004.
Market participants credit a background in the tech sector for his success in bringing taxation in Russia into the digital age. Payments for both individuals and businesses have become simpler and a predominantly online process.
Digitalization has also led to a drop in tax evasion and a reduced role for the shadow economy, with many small and medium enterprises beginning to pay taxes.
Mishustin told the Vedomosti business daily in 2018 he did not see a return to the private sector.
"But if destiny chooses a different path for me, I would work in innovations, with new technologies, in the same field as I have always worked: transformation, related to the digital economy," he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Russia’s Largest Airport Opens New $500M International Terminal

Sheremetyevo is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe , with more than 49.9 million travelers using its terminals last year .
Moscow ’ s Sheremetyevo Airport opened the first phase of its newest international terminal Friday .
Terminal C , the airport ’ s fifth terminal , covers 127,000 square meters and has an annual capacity of 20 million passengers .
With the opening of Terminal C , Sheremetyevo ’ s maximum capacity will reach 80 million passengers per year , making it the largest airport in Russia .
Russia ’ s national carrier Aeroflot , which accounts for 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the main airline using the new terminal .
While the government provided funding for the infrastructure and the construction of a third runway , it didn ’ t provide any funding for the terminal itself , Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Yurchik told The Moscow Times .
The new terminal ’ s construction cost more than 32 billion rubles ( $ 500 million ) , said Alexander Ponomarenko , the chairman of the airport ’ s board of directors .
Last year Sheremetyevo announced that construction would cost 19.9 billion rubles ( $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Terminal C , which will serve 10 million passengers annually , is expected to be completed after 2026 .

Sheremetyevo is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe, with more than 49.9 million travelers using its terminals last year.
Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport opened the first phase of its newest international terminal Friday.
Terminal C, the airport’s fifth terminal, covers 127,000 square meters and has an annual capacity of 20 million passengers. With the opening of Terminal C, Sheremetyevo’s maximum capacity will reach 80 million passengers per year, making it the largest airport in Russia.
Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot, which accounts for 80% of Sheremetyevo’s traffic, will be the main airline using the new terminal.
While the government provided funding for the infrastructure and the construction of a third runway, it didn’t provide any funding for the terminal itself, Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Yurchik told The Moscow Times.
The new terminal’s construction cost more than 32 billion rubles ($500 million), said Alexander Ponomarenko, the chairman of the airport’s board of directors. Last year Sheremetyevo announced that construction would cost 19.9 billion rubles ($320 million).
The second phase of Terminal C, which will serve 10 million passengers annually, is expected to be completed after 2026.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Ukrainian PM Offers to Quit After Tape Suggests He Criticized President

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk submitted his resignation on Friday after an audio recording suggested he had criticized the president , but then appeared to suggest that he might stay in his job .
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would consider the resignation letter later on Friday , the president 's office said .
Speculation over Honcharuk 's position has grown this week after a recording of a man discussing Zelenskiy 's purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels , apparently at a meeting of the prime minister , finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption .
Honcharuk said on Friday the recording had been doctored and was made up of different fragments of what had been said at government meetings .
`` Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president , who is our political leader , '' Honcharuk said on social media .
He did not say whether it was his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording .
Contacted by Reuters shortly after his announcement and asked whether he indeed intended to step down , Honcharuk said : `` Do not jump to conclusions . ''
Under Ukraine 's previous president , Honcharuk 's predecessor as prime minister , Volodymyr Groysman , also made threats to resign but ultimately stayed the course until last July 's parliamentary election which Zelenskiy 's party won .
Honcharuk , appointed by lawmakers last August , declined to say whether he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of testing the president 's confidence in him .
`` It does n't show the prime minister 's desire to resign , but rather it 's a way for him to fight to stay in his position , '' Volodymyr Fesenko , a Kiev-based political analyst .

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk submitted his resignation on Friday after an audio recording suggested he had criticized the president, but then appeared to suggest that he might stay in his job.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would consider the resignation letter later on Friday, the president's office said.
Speculation over Honcharuk's position has grown this week after a recording of a man discussing Zelenskiy's purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels, apparently at a meeting of the prime minister, finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in December.
Zelenskiy is a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption.
Honcharuk said on Friday the recording had been doctored and was made up of different fragments of what had been said at government meetings.
"Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president, who is our political leader," Honcharuk said on social media. He did not say whether it was his voice heard in the recording.
Central bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording.
Contacted by Reuters shortly after his announcement and asked whether he indeed intended to step down, Honcharuk said: "Do not jump to conclusions."
Under Ukraine's previous president, Honcharuk's predecessor as prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, also made threats to resign but ultimately stayed the course until last July's parliamentary election which Zelenskiy's party won.
Honcharuk, appointed by lawmakers last August, declined to say whether he was using his resignation letter as a way of testing the president's confidence in him.
"It doesn't show the prime minister's desire to resign, but rather it's a way for him to fight to stay in his position," Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kiev-based political analyst.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Russia’s Northern Fleet to Get New Anti-Submarine Aircraft

A modified version of the Tupolev-204/214 passenger plane will be the equivalent of U.S. built Boeing P-8 Poseidon that Norway , among other countries , will deploy for surveillance flights over the Barents and Norwegian Seas .
Russia ’ s Northern Fleet is set to acquire new anti-submarine aircraft that will be modeled on a late-Soviet passenger plane .
The revamped aircraft will be deployed for surveillance in peacetime , flying maritime operations watching out for enemy submarines and will operate as a sub-hunter carrying torpedoes during a war-time scenario , a source in the Defense Ministry told the pro-Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peacetime , they will keep enemy submarines away from our shores , ” Admiral Valentin Selivanov , former chief of the Navy 's General Staff , told Izvestia .
The Tu-204 is a twin-engine medium-range jet plane designed by the Tupolev design bureau and was originally introduced in 1989 as an alternative to Aeroflot ’ s better-known Tu-134 and Tu-134 passenger aircraft .
The Tu-204 never became popular and production of the plane has been halted for commercial companies , with the last few planes being retired in October 2018 by Russia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane is still used for special operations by the Rossiya airline , the Roscosmos space agency and the Defense Ministry , as well as other state agencies .
No time frame for the projected start of operations with the new sub-hunter version of the aircraft has been released .
Today , the Russian Northern Fleet ’ s anti-submarine aviation division , flying out from the Kola Peninsula , operates the Illyushin-38 and Tu-142 aircraft as well as the Ka-27 helicopter .
Both the Il-38 and the Tu-142 were designed in the 1960s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anti-submarine aircraft has been facing the Navy since the mid-1990s , ” said military expert Dmitry Boltenkov to Izvestia .

A modified version of the Tupolev-204/214 passenger plane will be the equivalent of U.S. built Boeing P-8 Poseidon that Norway, among other countries, will deploy for surveillance flights over the Barents and Norwegian Seas.
Russia’s Northern Fleet is set to acquire new anti-submarine aircraft that will be modeled on a late-Soviet passenger plane.
The revamped aircraft will be deployed for surveillance in peacetime, flying maritime operations watching out for enemy submarines and will operate as a sub-hunter carrying torpedoes during a war-time scenario, a source in the Defense Ministry told the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper this week.
“In peacetime, they will keep enemy submarines away from our shores,” Admiral Valentin Selivanov, former chief of the Navy's General Staff, told Izvestia.
The Tu-204 is a twin-engine medium-range jet plane designed by the Tupolev design bureau and was originally introduced in 1989 as an alternative to Aeroflot’s better-known Tu-134 and Tu-134 passenger aircraft. The Tu-204 never became popular and production of the plane has been halted for commercial companies, with the last few planes being retired in October 2018 by Russia’s Red Wings Airlines.
Today the plane is still used for special operations by the Rossiya airline, the Roscosmos space agency and the Defense Ministry, as well as other state agencies.
No time frame for the projected start of operations with the new sub-hunter version of the aircraft has been released.
Today, the Russian Northern Fleet’s anti-submarine aviation division, flying out from the Kola Peninsula, operates the Illyushin-38 and Tu-142 aircraft as well as the Ka-27 helicopter. Both the Il-38 and the Tu-142 were designed in the 1960s.
“The question of updating the fleet of anti-submarine aircraft has been facing the Navy since the mid-1990s,” said military expert Dmitry Boltenkov to Izvestia.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Top Russian University Moves to Ban Political Speech

Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics ( HSE ) became embroiled in several controversies in 2019 , including the cancellation of its student talk show after it invited an opposition activist and revoking a student newspaper ’ s student-body status over a critical article .
HSE political science student Yegor Zhukov also became a de-facto face of last summer ’ s election protest movement , splitting university leadership and students into opposing camps .
One of Russia ’ s elite universities is considering banning its students and faculty from exercising political speech in the wake of high-profile scandals involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its newly proposed rules .
“ The new version of internal regulations clarifies the obligation not to make political statements or stances not only on behalf of the entire university , but also on behalf of a range of students and HSE employees , ” the university said on its website Friday .
Offenders would be forced to “ delete affiliation ” with HSE for breaching the new rules .
“ HSE employees shouldn ’ t go beyond expert or analytical positions in public statements , ” the proposed rules state .
Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ status as student organizations .
“ This status creates a clash : On the one hand , a student organization is legally part of the university and HSE is fully responsible for its activities , ” it wrote .
“ On the other hand , the university doesn ’ t influence student publications ’ editorial policies.
” The slew of changes will be discussed at HSE ’ s next academic council , which the Kommersant daily reports will take place sometime next week .
The head of President Vladimir Putin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the suggested changes “ don ’ t limit freedom of speech ” at the prestigious university .
“ A university is a professional corporation .
Any corporation has its own rules , ” Fadeyev told Interfax on Friday .

Moscow’s Higher School of Economics (HSE) became embroiled in several controversies in 2019, including the cancellation of its student talk show after it invited an opposition activist and revoking a student newspaper’s student-body status over a critical article. HSE political science student Yegor Zhukov also became a de-facto face of last summer’s election protest movement, splitting university leadership and students into opposing camps.
One of Russia’s elite universities is considering banning its students and faculty from exercising political speech in the wake of high-profile scandals involving free speech last year, according to its newly proposed rules.
“The new version of internal regulations clarifies the obligation not to make political statements or stances not only on behalf of the entire university, but also on behalf of a range of students and HSE employees,” the university said on its website Friday.
Offenders would be forced to “delete affiliation” with HSE for breaching the new rules.
“HSE employees shouldn’t go beyond expert or analytical positions in public statements,” the proposed rules state.
Additionally, HSE wants to revoke student newspapers’ status as student organizations.
“This status creates a clash: On the one hand, a student organization is legally part of the university and HSE is fully responsible for its activities,” it wrote. “On the other hand, the university doesn’t influence student publications’ editorial policies.”
The slew of changes will be discussed at HSE’s next academic council, which the Kommersant daily reports will take place sometime next week.
The head of President Vladimir Putin’s human rights commission, Valery Fadeyev, said the suggested changes “don’t limit freedom of speech” at the prestigious university.
“A university is a professional corporation. Any corporation has its own rules,” Fadeyev told Interfax on Friday.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Russia's Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker Escorts Up 54% in 2019

The number of ships escorted by Russian icebreakers along the Northern Sea Route increased by 54 % between 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ ship escorting is caused by an increase in LNG production on the Yamal Peninsula , @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers , said .
The 510 vessels that were @ @ @ @ @ had a total gross tonnage of 30.29 million tons , Rosatomflot says .
That is @ @ @ @ @ was in 2018 when 331 vessels with a total tonnage of 12,7 million tons were @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It is connected with the full project capacity reached by the LNG production @ @ @ @ @ '' General Director at Atomflot Mustafa Kashka said .
Meanwhile , the total volume of @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 is still unknown .
In mid-November 2019 , Rosatom said that goods volumes @ @ @ @ @ and that by the end of the year it was expected to reach 30 million @ @

The number of ships escorted by Russian icebreakers along the Northern Sea Route increased by 54% between 2018 and 2019.
The increase in ship escorting is caused by an increase in LNG production on the Yamal Peninsula, Rosatomflot, the company managing Russia’s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, said.
The 510 vessels that were escorted through the Arctic ice had a total gross tonnage of 30.29 million tons, Rosatomflot says. That is 54% more than it was in 2018 when 331 vessels with a total tonnage of 12,7 million tons were carried out through the area.
"It is connected with the full project capacity reached by the LNG production plant in Sabetta port," General Director at Atomflot Mustafa Kashka said.
Meanwhile, the total volume of goods shipped on the route in 2019 is still unknown. In mid-November 2019, Rosatom said that goods volumes had reached 26 million tons and that by the end of the year it was expected to reach 30 million tons.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Mikhail Who? Weary Russians Welcome Change of Prime Minister

Few people on the streets of Moscow on Thursday had heard of Mikhail Mishustin , the former Federal Tax Service chief plucked from relative obscurity by President Vladimir Putin this week to serve as new prime minister .
But many welcomed the abrupt exit of his long-time predecessor and said sweeping changes at the top had been a long time coming in a country where people are fed up with a stagnant economy that has hit them in their pockets .
`` Our authorities are n't completely stupid , they understand some changes are needed , '' said theatre actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the outgoing prime minister , has presided over the economy since 2012 , a turbulent period that saw real wages start to fall after Russia annexed Ukraine 's Crimea in 2014 and living standards eroded as prices rose .
`` If this had all continued it would have meant serious stagnation and there could have been some kind of revolution and the tsar could be toppled , '' said Davydov , using the Russian term for monarch to describe Putin .
People 's yearning for change may help explain why Putin replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but one whose public approval ratings have been on a downward slide since 2014 .
`` They need to demonstrate stark changes , social promises , care for people , the end of stagnation .
And to demonstrate it in such a way that people take it seriously , '' said Leonid Volkov , an opposition politician .
Analysts said Medvedev , a former president , had become a political liability and his exit helps create the impression of real change .
Medvedev was dogged by allegations of graft , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media for allegedly falling asleep during Putin 's speeches .
`` Many people were fed up with him and thought he was an incompetent , '' said Vladimir Petrov , 42 , an editor at a television station .
Many say a throwaway comment Medvedev once made — telling a group of old women in a Russian province to `` hold on '' after saying to them there was no money left to solve their problems — symbolized his sometimes detached image .
Bespectacled and balding , 53-year-old Mishustin cut a schoolmasterly air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament , where lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to back his appointment .
Some Russians had been hoping for someone a bit younger .
`` The new generation should come into politics , people aged 40-45 should be in government and in the presidency , like Putin was when he had just come to power , '' said Natalia Zhukova , 50 , a doctor by profession .
Some Russians dismissed Putin 's shake-up on Wednesday — the entire Cabinet stepped down in addition to Medvedev — as meaningless cosmetic change .
`` They ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , that 's the problem .
Look at how poor people have become , '' said Vladimir Yatsenko , 69 .

Few people on the streets of Moscow on Thursday had heard of Mikhail Mishustin, the former Federal Tax Service chief plucked from relative obscurity by President Vladimir Putin this week to serve as new prime minister. But many welcomed the abrupt exit of his long-time predecessor and said sweeping changes at the top had been a long time coming in a country where people are fed up with a stagnant economy that has hit them in their pockets. "Our authorities aren't completely stupid, they understand some changes are needed," said theatre actor Artyom Dadyvov, 22. Dmitry Medvedev, the outgoing prime minister, has presided over the economy since 2012, a turbulent period that saw real wages start to fall after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and living standards eroded as prices rose.
"If this had all continued it would have meant serious stagnation and there could have been some kind of revolution and the tsar could be toppled," said Davydov, using the Russian term for monarch to describe Putin. People's yearning for change may help explain why Putin replaced Medvedev, a close ally and protege, but one whose public approval ratings have been on a downward slide since 2014. "They need to demonstrate stark changes, social promises, care for people, the end of stagnation. And to demonstrate it in such a way that people take it seriously," said Leonid Volkov, an opposition politician. Analysts said Medvedev, a former president, had become a political liability and his exit helps create the impression of real change. Detached image Medvedev was dogged by allegations of graft, which he denied, and lampooned by the Russian media for allegedly falling asleep during Putin's speeches. "Many people were fed up with him and thought he was an incompetent," said Vladimir Petrov, 42, an editor at a television station. Many say a throwaway comment Medvedev once made — telling a group of old women in a Russian province to "hold on" after saying to them there was no money left to solve their problems — symbolized his sometimes detached image.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--350K Syrians Have Fled Russian-Led Assault in Idlib, UN Says

Around 350,000 Syrians , mostly women and children , have fled a renewed Russian-backed offensive in the opposition-held Idlib province @ @ @ @ @ have sought shelter in border areas near Turkey , the United Nations said on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ deteriorating because of the increased hostilities , the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ in its latest situation report .
Russian jets and Syrian artillery have pounded towns and @ @ @ @ @ backed by pro-Iranian militias and aimed at clearing the opposition .
`` This latest wave @ @ @ @ @ dire humanitarian situation on the ground in Idlib , '' David Swanson , Amman-based UN @ @ @ @ @ said .
Russian and Syrian jets resumed bombing of civilian areas in the opposition enclave @ @ @ @ @ agreed between Turkey and Russia formally took effect on Sunday .

Around 350,000 Syrians, mostly women and children, have fled a renewed Russian-backed offensive in the opposition-held Idlib province since early December, and have sought shelter in border areas near Turkey, the United Nations said on Thursday. Conditions for people were deteriorating because of the increased hostilities, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest situation report. Russian jets and Syrian artillery have pounded towns and villages in a renewed assault backed by pro-Iranian militias and aimed at clearing the opposition. "This latest wave of displacement compounds an already dire humanitarian situation on the ground in Idlib," David Swanson, Amman-based UN regional spokesman for Syria, said. Russian and Syrian jets resumed bombing of civilian areas in the opposition enclave two days after a ceasefire agreed between Turkey and Russia formally took effect on Sunday.
Russia's Defense Ministry on Thursday denied media reports that it had bombed civilian targets in Idlib province, saying there had been no military flights since a ceasefire was introduced on Jan. 9, the state-run RIA news agency reported. Residents and rescuers said dozens of towns and villages were in ruins from weeks of intensive aerial bombing. The Russian-led campaign has also knocked down dozens of hospitals and schools, international aid agencies said. Karen AbuZayd, a UN war crimes investigator on Syria, told reporters in Geneva that many of the destroyed or closed schools in opposition-held areas were now being used as shelters for people fleeing the violence. The latest wave of displaced people comes on top of close to 400,000 people who fled earlier fighting for the safety of camps near the Turkish border, UN officials said. Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told reporters on Thursday that many uprooted families now in makeshift camps were running short of food and water. The latest offensive has brought the Russian-steered military campaign closer to heavily populated parts of Idlib province, where nearly 3 million people are trapped, according to the United Nations. Rescuers and residents said that on Thursday Russian and Syrian jets pounded the devastated city of Maarat al-Numan. It is one of the main urban centers in the province and lies on a main highway held by rebels.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Moscow Sees 8 Hours of Sunlight in December

While less than 4 % of the city ’ s possible sunlight hours without cloud coverage , the eight hours still surpassed the six minutes of clear skies that Moscow saw in December 2017 .
The Russian capital experienced a total of eight hours of sunlight in December , the head of Russia ’ s meteorological center said Thursday .
“ Muscovites saw only eight hours of sunlight ” in December 2019 , Roman Vilfand , the head of Russia ’ s meteorological center , was quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency as saying .
St. Petersburg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even worse when the sun peeked out of the clouds for just two and a half hours last month .
Moscow and some parts of Russia have been reeling from an unusually warm winter , which meteorologists said was due to an atmospheric front from the Atlantic Ocean .
Vilfand said current temperatures were on track to make this winter the “ hottest ” in Moscow ’ s recorded history , according to the state-run TASS news agency .
Moscow ’ s temperature Thursday also reached a 95-year high of 3.1 degrees Celsius @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecaster , Marina Makarova , told TASS .
Not to be outdone , St. Petersburg ’ s chief meteorologist said the city 's average January temperature of 2 degrees Celsius was its highest on record , TASS reported .

While less than 4% of the city’s possible sunlight hours without cloud coverage, the eight hours still surpassed the six minutes of clear skies that Moscow saw in December 2017.
The Russian capital experienced a total of eight hours of sunlight in December, the head of Russia’s meteorological center said Thursday.
“Muscovites saw only eight hours of sunlight” in December 2019, Roman Vilfand, the head of Russia’s meteorological center, was quoted by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, fared even worse when the sun peeked out of the clouds for just two and a half hours last month.
Moscow and some parts of Russia have been reeling from an unusually warm winter, which meteorologists said was due to an atmospheric front from the Atlantic Ocean.
Vilfand said current temperatures were on track to make this winter the “hottest” in Moscow’s recorded history, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Moscow’s temperature Thursday also reached a 95-year high of 3.1 degrees Celsius, the meteorological center’s chief forecaster, Marina Makarova, told TASS.
Not to be outdone, St. Petersburg’s chief meteorologist said the city's average January temperature of 2 degrees Celsius was its highest on record, TASS reported.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Immersive Pushkin-Themed Park to Open in St. Petersburg in 2023

Considered the founder of modern Russian literature , Pushkin wrote some of Russia ’ s most famous fairy tales and epic poems and remained popular through Soviet times and into the present .
St. Petersburg is set to open a sprawling , immersive theme park that will bring iconic Russian writer Alexander Pushkin ’ s fairy tales and poems to life in 2023 .
Dutch design company Jora Vision will use Pushkin ’ s works as inspiration for the 17,000-square-meter Lukomorye park , named after the mythical Slavic land in which Pushkin ’ s fairy tales take place .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are excited to harness our skills to bring these local stories to life to an audience which is not yet very familiar with the concept of theme parks and immersive attractions , '' Jora Vision CEO Jan Maarten de Raad said in a press release Tuesday .
The amusement park will consist of three zones — a palace , a city and a harbor — each based on imaginary places in Pushkin ’ s stories .
The park will also feature a swan lake , a fairytale forest and a “ yarmarka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In June 2019 , local media reported the park ’ s construction costs to be at 1 billion rubles ( $ 16.2 million ) .
The interactive park , which will be populated by actors playing famous heroes from Pushkin ’ s stories , will stage carnivals , performances and master classes .
While the park is still in its conceptual stage , visitors can expect to be able to learn about Pushkin ’ s life in an “ immersive walkthrough experience , ” Jora Vision says .

Considered the founder of modern Russian literature, Pushkin wrote some of Russia’s most famous fairy tales and epic poems and remained popular through Soviet times and into the present.
St. Petersburg is set to open a sprawling, immersive theme park that will bring iconic Russian writer Alexander Pushkin’s fairy tales and poems to life in 2023.
Dutch design company Jora Vision will use Pushkin’s works as inspiration for the 17,000-square-meter Lukomorye park, named after the mythical Slavic land in which Pushkin’s fairy tales take place.
"We love unique and meaningful stories, and are excited to harness our skills to bring these local stories to life to an audience which is not yet very familiar with the concept of theme parks and immersive attractions," Jora Vision CEO Jan Maarten de Raad said in a press release Tuesday.
The amusement park will consist of three zones — a palace, a city and a harbor — each based on imaginary places in Pushkin’s stories. The park will also feature a swan lake, a fairytale forest and a “yarmarka,” or Russian fair market.
In June 2019, local media reported the park’s construction costs to be at 1 billion rubles ($16.2 million).
The interactive park, which will be populated by actors playing famous heroes from Pushkin’s stories, will stage carnivals, performances and master classes. While the park is still in its conceptual stage, visitors can expect to be able to learn about Pushkin’s life in an “immersive walkthrough experience,” Jora Vision says.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Putin’s New PM Hiding Elite Moscow Property – Proekt

Russia ’ s parliament voted to approve Mikhail Mishustin , head of the country ’ s tax service , into office Thursday .
Putin ’ s surprise choice is part of the president ’ s shake-up of the political system , which led to his loyal ally Dmitry Medvedev ’ s resignation as prime minister .
Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s new prime minister appears to own elite real estate in a prestigious suburb outside Moscow , the Proekt investigative news website reported Thursday .
Mishustin and his wife were listed as owners of a 900-square-meter house on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2001-2005 , according to Proekt .
The current asking price for similar-sized properties reportedly stands at 600 million rubles ( $ 9.5 million ) .
The property ’ s current owners are listed as “ the Russian Federation ” as of 2005 , according to a Federal Registration Service screenshot published by Proekt .
Two of the Mishustins ’ adult children appear to be the Rublyovka house ’ s formal owners , Proekt wrote , citing the new prime minister ’ s past tax returns from when the children were minors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as owners of a Moscow apartment which Proekt wrote is located steps away from the White House — Mishustin ’ s new place of employment .
Russia ’ s Supreme Court in 2017 allowed the Federal Registration Service , which Mishustin headed in 2004-2006 , to classify the names of property owners .
Meanwhile , opposition activist Alexei Navalny has estimated that Mishustin ’ s wife Vladlena Mishustina , who does not appear to own a business , earned 789 million rubles ( $ 12.5 million ) in nine years .

Russia’s parliament voted to approve Mikhail Mishustin, head of the country’s tax service, into office Thursday. Putin’s surprise choice is part of the president’s shake-up of the political system, which led to his loyal ally Dmitry Medvedev’s resignation as prime minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new prime minister appears to own elite real estate in a prestigious suburb outside Moscow, the Proekt investigative news website reported Thursday.
Mishustin and his wife were listed as owners of a 900-square-meter house on a 5,500-square-meter estate in the suburb of Rublyovka in 2001-2005, according to Proekt.
The current asking price for similar-sized properties reportedly stands at 600 million rubles ($9.5 million).
The property’s current owners are listed as “the Russian Federation” as of 2005, according to a Federal Registration Service screenshot published by Proekt.
Two of the Mishustins’ adult children appear to be the Rublyovka house’s formal owners, Proekt wrote, citing the new prime minister’s past tax returns from when the children were minors.
The two sons were also reportedly listed as owners of a Moscow apartment which Proekt wrote is located steps away from the White House — Mishustin’s new place of employment.
Russia’s Supreme Court in 2017 allowed the Federal Registration Service, which Mishustin headed in 2004-2006, to classify the names of property owners.
Meanwhile, opposition activist Alexei Navalny has estimated that Mishustin’s wife Vladlena Mishustina, who does not appear to own a business, earned 789 million rubles ($12.5 million) in nine years.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-16--Putin Confirms Mishustin as New Prime Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister , shortly after the former @ @ @ @ @ won the backing of parliament .
Mishustin received 383 votes of 424 cast by Russia @ @ @ @ @ , with no votes against and 41 abstentions — a victory that had been all @ @ @ @ @ the unanimous backing of his party , United Russia , which has a strong majority @ @ @ @ @ 's elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin @ @ @ @ @ to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government .

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister, shortly after the former head of the tax service won the backing of parliament.
Mishustin received 383 votes of 424 cast by Russia's lower house of parliament, with no votes against and 41 abstentions — a victory that had been all but assured when he won the unanimous backing of his party, United Russia, which has a strong majority in the chamber.
Mishustin's elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-17--Ukraine President Gives Prime Minister Second Chance After Tape Leak

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday allowed Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk to keep his job after the leak of an embarrassing audio recording prompted Honcharuk to submit his resignation .
In a carefully choreographed video of the two men sitting at a desk that was released on Friday evening , in which Honcharuk was mostly silent , Zelenskiy said he would give Honcharuk and his government a chance .
Honcharuk had offered to quit after an audio recording suggested he had criticized the president , though in earlier comments to Reuters he also indicated that he might end up keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man discussing Zelenskiy 's purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels this week , apparently at a meeting of Honcharuk , the finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine ( NBU ) in December .
Zelenskiy is a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption .
`` I decided to give you a chance ... and a chance to your government , '' Zelenskiy said , but added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as sacking ministers who do not perform .
Zelenskiy and the public had loaned Honcharuk their trust , he said to Honcharuk , adding : `` you have not yet repaid this loan to our society . ''
Honcharuk said earlier the recording had been doctored and was made up of different fragments of what had been said at government meetings .
`` Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president , who is our political leader , '' Honcharuk said on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was his voice heard in the recording .
Central bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording .
Zelenskiy asked law enforcement agencies to determine who was involved in making the recording and how to prevent such incidents from occurring in future .
Contacted by Reuters shortly after his announcement and asked whether he indeed intended to step down , Honcharuk said : `` Do not jump to conclusions . ''

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday allowed Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk to keep his job after the leak of an embarrassing audio recording prompted Honcharuk to submit his resignation.
In a carefully choreographed video of the two men sitting at a desk that was released on Friday evening, in which Honcharuk was mostly silent, Zelenskiy said he would give Honcharuk and his government a chance.
Honcharuk had offered to quit after an audio recording suggested he had criticized the president, though in earlier comments to Reuters he also indicated that he might end up keeping his job.
A recording of a man discussing Zelenskiy's purported lack of knowledge of economics was circulated on messaging channels this week, apparently at a meeting of Honcharuk, the finance minister and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in December.
Zelenskiy is a former comic actor who had no political experience when he swept to power in an election last year on the back of public anger over high-level corruption.
"I decided to give you a chance ... and a chance to your government," Zelenskiy said, but added the government had to fulfil certain tasks such as sacking ministers who do not perform.
Zelenskiy and the public had loaned Honcharuk their trust, he said to Honcharuk, adding: "you have not yet repaid this loan to our society."
Honcharuk said earlier the recording had been doctored and was made up of different fragments of what had been said at government meetings.
"Its contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president, who is our political leader," Honcharuk said on social media. He did not say whether it was his voice heard in the recording.
Central bank officials and the finance minister have declined to comment on the recording.
Zelenskiy asked law enforcement agencies to determine who was involved in making the recording and how to prevent such incidents from occurring in future.
Contacted by Reuters shortly after his announcement and asked whether he indeed intended to step down, Honcharuk said: "Do not jump to conclusions."


themoscowtimes--2020-01-19--Putin Rejects 'President For Life' Model

Putin 's changes , which would amend the constitution to create new centres of power outside the presidency , were widely seen as giving the 67-year-old scope to extend his grip on power once he leaves the presidency in 2024 .
He has dominated Russian politics , as president or as prime minister , for two decades .
Putin , in a surprise move , picked Mikhail Mishustin , the low-profile head of the country ’ s tax service , as the country 's next prime minister .
Russians are now waiting to hear which ministers will keep their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , made to World War Two veterans in St. Petersburg , came days after he unveiled a sweeping shake-up of the political system which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he did not want Russia to return to the late Soviet-era practice of having lifelong rulers who died in office without a proper succession strategy .
Critics accuse Putin , a former KGB officer , of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wield power over the world 's largest nation , which is also one of its two leading nuclear powers .
In his comments Saturday , Putin , who has already said he wants to limit future presidents to two terms in power despite currently serving out his fourth term himself , rejected the idea of Russian presidents for life .
Asked by a war veteran on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad if it was time to abolish term limits for presidents altogether , Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] terms for staying in power I understand ... that [ concern over this ] is linked for many people with worries about societal , state and domestic and external stability .
“ But it would be very worrying to return to the situation we had in the mid-1980s when state leaders stayed in power , one by one , until the end of their days and left office without ensuring the necessary conditions for a transition of power .
So thanks , but I think it would be better not to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period was characterized by a series of elderly leaders such as Leonid Brezhnev , Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko who all died in office , sparking a scramble by others to grab power .
Putin ’ s comments are likely to be seen as reinforcing the idea that he plans to exit the presidency in 2024 as per the current constitution , but are unlikely to appease critics who think he 'll find a way to continue wielding influence behind the scenes in a different enhanced role .

Putin's changes, which would amend the constitution to create new centres of power outside the presidency, were widely seen as giving the 67-year-old scope to extend his grip on power once he leaves the presidency in 2024. He has dominated Russian politics, as president or as prime minister, for two decades.
Putin, in a surprise move, picked Mikhail Mishustin, the low-profile head of the country’s tax service, as the country's next prime minister. Russians are now waiting to hear which ministers will keep their jobs in a new government.
His comments, made to World War Two veterans in St. Petersburg, came days after he unveiled a sweeping shake-up of the political system which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he did not want Russia to return to the late Soviet-era practice of having lifelong rulers who died in office without a proper succession strategy.
Critics accuse Putin, a former KGB officer, of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends. They suspect he wants to continue to wield power over the world's largest nation, which is also one of its two leading nuclear powers.
In his comments Saturday, Putin, who has already said he wants to limit future presidents to two terms in power despite currently serving out his fourth term himself, rejected the idea of Russian presidents for life.
Asked by a war veteran on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad if it was time to abolish term limits for presidents altogether, Putin said: “As regards [presidential] terms for staying in power I understand ... that [concern over this] is linked for many people with worries about societal, state and domestic and external stability.
“But it would be very worrying to return to the situation we had in the mid-1980s when state leaders stayed in power, one by one, until the end of their days and left office without ensuring the necessary conditions for a transition of power. So thanks, but I think it would be better not to return to that situation.”
The late Soviet period was characterized by a series of elderly leaders such as Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko who all died in office, sparking a scramble by others to grab power.
Putin’s comments are likely to be seen as reinforcing the idea that he plans to exit the presidency in 2024 as per the current constitution, but are unlikely to appease critics who think he'll find a way to continue wielding influence behind the scenes in a different enhanced role.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-20--Russian Prosecutor General Chaika to Leave Post

Russia 's prosecutor general Yury Chaika is leaving his post , Interfax news agency reported Monday , citing the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ proposed that the Federation Council appoint Igor Krasnov , deputy head of the Investigative Committee @ @ @ @ @ the new prosecutor general , Vedomosti reported .
According to officials , Chaika , 68 @ @ @ @ @ he has occupied since 2006 for another unnamed job .
The reshuffle takes place days @ @ @ @ @ Duma approved little-known tax chief Mikhail Mishustin as the new prime minister of Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ previously head of the investigation team that investigated the 2015 murder of Kremlin critic Boris @ @

Russia's Prosecutor General Yury Chaika is leaving his post, Interfax reported Monday, citing the Kremlin.
President Vladimir Putin proposed that the Federation Council appoint Igor Krasnov, deputy head of the Investigative Committee, as the new prosecutor general, the Vedomosti business daily reported.
According to officials, Chaika, 68, will leave the post he has occupied since 2006 for another unnamed job.
The reshuffle takes place days after lawmakers in the State Duma approved little-known tax chief Mikhail Mishustin as the new prime minister of Russia.
Krasnov, 44, was previously head of the investigation team that investigated the 2015 murder of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-20--Russian Oil Deals in Syria Linked to ‘Putin’s Chef’ – Novaya Gazeta

Syria 's parliament in December approved contracts for oil exploration with two Russian companies , Mercury and Velada .
Syria ’ s oil minister had said that the three blocs in the contracts each contain at least 250 billion cubic meters of gas .
Two little-known Russian companies that signed oil and gas deals with Syria last year have links to a secretive businessman believed to be running a private military contractor , the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported Sunday .
Mercury and Velada have ties to Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin , who is often referred to as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicted by the U.S. on suspicion of election meddling , according to Novaya Gazeta ’ s investigation .
Mercury apparently changed its profile from catering to geological surveying sometime in or prior to 2017 , Novaya Gazeta reported , citing its former managing director ’ s publicly available resume .
In 2016 , the Russian-language U.S. broadcaster Current Time spoke with an unnamed Mercury helicopter pilot who said his task was to transport Prigozhin or his wife to remote parts of St. Petersburg .
Velada ’ s chief executive between 2015-2018 reportedly ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an assistant manager at Prigozhin ’ s Concord Management and Consulting company .
Prigozhin is also believed to be behind the Wagner Group , a shadowy mercenary organization suspected of fighting on behalf of the Russian government in Syria , eastern Ukraine , Libya and sub-Saharan Africa .
“ The choice of a partner was obvious for Syria : The exploration and development contract goes to those who recapture the oilfields and protect them with their own armed forces , ” Novaya Gazeta wrote .
The publication estimated that Prigozhin ’ s companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources in Syria per month in 2018 .
Prigozhin ’ s press service said Velada and Mercury have “ no relation ” to the businessman ’ s conglomerate .
The two companies are some of several players to have secured oil exploration deals in Syria .
After a preliminary deal in 2016 , Syria ’ s state oil company was reported in 2018 to have signed a binding agreement offering Russia ’ s Evro Polis 25 % of the profits from oil refineries it liberated from the Islamic State .
Reports have claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wagner .
Shunned by Western powers , Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has looked to allies Russia and Iran to play a role in rebuilding after they helped his forces reclaim most of the country hit by more than eight years of war .

Syria's parliament in December approved contracts for oil exploration with two Russian companies, Mercury and Velada. Syria’s oil minister had said that the three blocs in the contracts each contain at least 250 billion cubic meters of gas.
Two little-known Russian companies that signed oil and gas deals with Syria last year have links to a secretive businessman believed to be running a private military contractor, the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported Sunday.
Mercury and Velada have ties to Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” and was indicted by the U.S. on suspicion of election meddling, according to Novaya Gazeta’s investigation.
Mercury apparently changed its profile from catering to geological surveying sometime in or prior to 2017, Novaya Gazeta reported, citing its former managing director’s publicly available resume. In 2016, the Russian-language U.S. broadcaster Current Time spoke with an unnamed Mercury helicopter pilot who said his task was to transport Prigozhin or his wife to remote parts of St. Petersburg.
Velada’s chief executive between 2015-2018 reportedly ran the one-person company while also working as an assistant manager at Prigozhin’s Concord Management and Consulting company.
Prigozhin is also believed to be behind the Wagner Group, a shadowy mercenary organization suspected of fighting on behalf of the Russian government in Syria, eastern Ukraine, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa.
“The choice of a partner was obvious for Syria: The exploration and development contract goes to those who recapture the oilfields and protect them with their own armed forces,” Novaya Gazeta wrote.
The publication estimated that Prigozhin’s companies extracted $20 million worth of natural resources in Syria per month in 2018.
Prigozhin’s press service said Velada and Mercury have “no relation” to the businessman’s conglomerate.
The two companies are some of several players to have secured oil exploration deals in Syria.
After a preliminary deal in 2016, Syria’s state oil company was reported in 2018 to have signed a binding agreement offering Russia’s Evro Polis 25% of the profits from oil refineries it liberated from the Islamic State.
Reports have claimed that Evro Polis is a front for Wagner.
Shunned by Western powers, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has looked to allies Russia and Iran to play a role in rebuilding after they helped his forces reclaim most of the country hit by more than eight years of war.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-20--No Normalization in Relations Yet, UK PM Johnson Tells Russia's Putin

A spokeswoman from Johnson 's Downing Street office said the prime minister met Putin on the sidelines of a summit on Libya in Berlin , where the two discussed the need to address security issues in Libya , Syria , Iraq and Iran .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday there would be no normalization of the two countries ' relations until Moscow ends its `` destabilizing activity '' that threatens security .
`` He was clear there had been no change in the UK 's position on Salisbury , which was a reckless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to murder innocent people on UK soil .
He said that such an attack must not be repeated , '' the spokeswoman said in a statement .
This referred to a 2018 chemical attack on a former Russian double agent in the city of Salisbury that the British government blamed on Russian military intelligence .
`` The prime minister said there will be no normalization of our bilateral relationship until Russia ends the destabilizing activity that threatens the UK and our allies and undermines the safety of our citizens and our collective @ @ @

A spokeswoman from Johnson's Downing Street office said the prime minister met Putin on the sidelines of a summit on Libya in Berlin, where the two discussed the need to address security issues in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday there would be no normalization of the two countries' relations until Moscow ends its "destabilizing activity" that threatens security.
"He was clear there had been no change in the UK's position on Salisbury, which was a reckless use of chemical weapons and a brazen attempt to murder innocent people on UK soil. He said that such an attack must not be repeated," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
This referred to a 2018 chemical attack on a former Russian double agent in the city of Salisbury that the British government blamed on Russian military intelligence.
"The prime minister said there will be no normalization of our bilateral relationship until Russia ends the destabilizing activity that threatens the UK and our allies and undermines the safety of our citizens and our collective security."


themoscowtimes--2020-01-20--Helsinki Eyes New 6-Hour Bullet Train to Moscow

The project would be an extension to a new high-speed railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg that is expected to be built by 2026 .
Russia ’ s government has previously estimated the planned railway ’ s costs at 1.5 trillion rubles ( $ 24 billion ) .
Finland has expressed interest in a new high-speed train that would connect its capital Helsinki to Moscow in just six hours and boost tourist traffic between the cities , the RBC news website reported Monday .
Finnish foreign trade minister Ville Skinnari discussed the Moscow-Helsinki project with Russian Railways head Oleg Belozerov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s capital last week .
“ Finland is interested in such a project that would help increase the flow of tourists in both directions , and we are ready to continue discussing [ this initiative ] with your government , ” Skinnari was cited as saying by RBC .
The Finnish official also met with Russia ’ s interim deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak and interim economic development minister Maxim Oreshkin during his two-day visit to Moscow .
“ We discussed prospects for cooperation in the spheres of trade , business and digitization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong progress , ” he said .

The project would be an extension to a new high-speed railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg that is expected to be built by 2026. Russia’s government has previously estimated the planned railway’s costs at 1.5 trillion rubles ($24 billion).
Finland has expressed interest in a new high-speed train that would connect its capital Helsinki to Moscow in just six hours and boost tourist traffic between the cities, the RBC news website reported Monday.
Finnish foreign trade minister Ville Skinnari discussed the Moscow-Helsinki project with Russian Railways head Oleg Belozerov during an official visit to Russia’s capital last week.
“Finland is interested in such a project that would help increase the flow of tourists in both directions, and we are ready to continue discussing [this initiative] with your government,” Skinnari was cited as saying by RBC.
The Finnish official also met with Russia’s interim deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak and interim economic development minister Maxim Oreshkin during his two-day visit to Moscow.
“We discussed prospects for cooperation in the spheres of trade, business and digitization — spheres in which Russia is showing strong progress,” he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-01-20--News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

Over 1,000 people marched through Moscow on Sunday in an event a Kremlin critic tried to turn into a protest against President Vladimir Putin ’ s constitutional shake-up , but many demonstrators chose to voice dissent about other issues instead .
At least nine people have been reportedly detained .
On Saturday , some Russians had taken turns holding one-person pickets outside the presidential administration building to express their disagreement with Putin 's constitutional reforms .
Foreign powers including Russia agreed to shore up a shaky truce in Libya , but the meeting was overshadowed by oil field blockades by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could cripple the country 's crude production .
`` We do n't lose hope that dialogue will continue and the conflict will be solved , '' Putin , who attended the Libya summit in Berlin on Sunday , said .
He said Russian and Turkish calls for a ceasefire had helped reduce fighting a week ago .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Putin there would be no normalization of British-Russian ties until Moscow ends its `` destabilizing activity '' that threatens security .
Downing Street said Johnson met Putin on the sidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he told the Russian leader not to repeat the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal .
Russia ’ s biggest search engine Yandex appears to be a conduit for child sexual imagery due to government policies against cooperating with “ undesirable ” foreign organizations , Fortune magazine reported .
Yandex is not part of a London-based Internet Watch Foundation ( IWF ) coalition that Google and Bing use to limit searches for child sexual exploitation imagery because of the Kremlin ’ s alleged opposition to foreign NGOs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worshippers entered frigid waters in Moscow to mark the Russian Orthodox Epiphany on Sunday , the Russian capital ’ s emergencies department said .
Worshippers believe their sins are symbolically washed away through the age-old ritual commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River , or the Epiphany , which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on Jan. 19 .
Residents of St. Petersburg on Saturday held a march to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the breaking of the Siege of Leningrad .
Lasting nearly 900 days ( Sept. 8 , 1941-Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city by Nazi forces killed at least 630,000 people and left the city in ruins .
Putin , who attended the commemorations , announced that all veterans of World War II and survivors of the Siege of Leningrad will receive a payment from the government to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory Day this May .
St. Petersburg ’ s government has reportedly allocated 1.5 billion rubles ( $ 24.3 million ) for these payments .

Constitutional defense Over 1,000 people marched through Moscow on Sunday in an event a Kremlin critic tried to turn into a protest against President Vladimir Putin’s constitutional shake-up, but many demonstrators chose to voice dissent about other issues instead. At least nine people have been reportedly detained. On Saturday, some Russians had taken turns holding one-person pickets outside the presidential administration building to express their disagreement with Putin's constitutional reforms. Libyan truce Foreign powers including Russia agreed to shore up a shaky truce in Libya, but the meeting was overshadowed by oil field blockades by forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar that could cripple the country's crude production.
Kremlin.ru
"We don't lose hope that dialogue will continue and the conflict will be solved," Putin, who attended the Libya summit in Berlin on Sunday, said. He said Russian and Turkish calls for a ceasefire had helped reduce fighting a week ago. Skripal warning British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Putin there would be no normalization of British-Russian ties until Moscow ends its "destabilizing activity" that threatens security. Downing Street said Johnson met Putin on the sidelines of the Libya summit in Berlin, where he told the Russian leader not to repeat the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal. ‘On-ramp’ for predators Russia’s biggest search engine Yandex appears to be a conduit for child sexual imagery due to government policies against cooperating with “undesirable” foreign organizations, Fortune magazine reported. Yandex is not part of a London-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) coalition that Google and Bing use to limit searches for child sexual exploitation imagery because of the Kremlin’s alleged opposition to foreign NGOs, according to Fortune. Frigid epiphany More than 56,000 worshippers entered frigid waters in Moscow to mark the Russian Orthodox Epiphany on Sunday, the Russian capital’s emergencies department said.
Alexander Demianchuk / TASS
Worshippers believe their sins are symbolically washed away through the age-old ritual commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, or the Epiphany, which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on Jan. 19. Blockade remembrance Residents of St. Petersburg on Saturday held a march to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the breaking of the Siege of Leningrad. Lasting nearly 900 days (Sept. 8, 1941-Jan. 27, 1944), the siege of the city by Nazi forces killed at least 630,000 people and left the city in ruins.
Kremlin.ru