themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--6 Days Off Booze Is Enough for Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine, Developer Says

Health officials overseeing Russia ’ s Covid-19 response urged Sputnik V recipients earlier to abstain from alcohol for nearly two months while taking the two-shot vaccine .
Alexander Gintsburg , who heads the state-run Gamaleya research institute that developed Sputnik V , reassured the public afterward that Russia ’ s vaccination drive did not entail a complete ban on alcohol .
Russia ’ s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine only requires patients to avoid drinking alcohol for six days , not 42 as previously recommended , its developer said Wednesday .
“ It ’ s just a matter of reasonably limiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune response to the coronavirus infection .
It ’ s true not only for Sputnik V , but also for any other vaccine , ” Interfax quoted Gintsburg as telling journalists .
“ We strongly recommend abstaining from alcohol for three days after each injection , ” Gintsburg said .
Excess alcohol consumption suppresses the immune system , reducing Sputnik V ’ s effectiveness “ or even rendering it meaningless , ” he added .
“ Of course we ’ re not talking about a complete ban on alcohol during vaccination , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials ’ previous recommendations to avoid immunosuppressants like alcohol for 14 days before and 42 days after inoculation .
Gintsburg had said that “ a single glass of champagne never hurt anyone ” shortly following Tuesday ’ s instructions of 56 alcohol-free days by Anna Popova , who heads Russia ’ s consumer safety watchdog and is a senior Covid-19 response official .
The varying alcohol intake recommendations come as Russia prepares for its Covid-19 vaccination drive this week .
Moscow began vaccinations for high-risk volunteers in earnest over the weekend despite Sputnik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Developers say interim results of Phase 3 trials show Sputnik V is 95 % effective against Covid-19 .
Authorities say around 100,000 Russians have taken the Sputnik V vaccine so far , including 30,000 volunteers and 8,500 members of the military .
Russia has the world ’ s fourth-highest Covid-19 caseload of over 2.5 million and the 10th-highest fatality count with more than 44,000 deaths , according to official daily tallies .
Popova places Russia ’ s coronavirus death rate at 1.7 % against the global average of 2.3 % , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least double the official count .

Health officials overseeing Russia’s Covid-19 response urged Sputnik V recipients earlier to abstain from alcohol for nearly two months while taking the two-shot vaccine. Alexander Gintsburg, who heads the state-run Gamaleya research institute that developed Sputnik V, reassured the public afterward that Russia’s vaccination drive did not entail a complete ban on alcohol.
Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine only requires patients to avoid drinking alcohol for six days, not 42 as previously recommended, its developer said Wednesday.
“It’s just a matter of reasonably limiting consumption until the body has formed its immune response to the coronavirus infection. It’s true not only for Sputnik V, but also for any other vaccine,” Interfax quoted Gintsburg as telling journalists.
“We strongly recommend abstaining from alcohol for three days after each injection,” Gintsburg said.
Excess alcohol consumption suppresses the immune system, reducing Sputnik V’s effectiveness “or even rendering it meaningless,” he added.
“Of course we’re not talking about a complete ban on alcohol during vaccination,” Gintsburg said.
His suggestions contradict Russian officials’ previous recommendations to avoid immunosuppressants like alcohol for 14 days before and 42 days after inoculation.
Gintsburg had said that “a single glass of champagne never hurt anyone” shortly following Tuesday’s instructions of 56 alcohol-free days by Anna Popova, who heads Russia’s consumer safety watchdog and is a senior Covid-19 response official.
The varying alcohol intake recommendations come as Russia prepares for its Covid-19 vaccination drive this week. Moscow began vaccinations for high-risk volunteers in earnest over the weekend despite Sputnik V’s incomplete post-registration clinical trials.
Developers say interim results of Phase 3 trials show Sputnik V is 95% effective against Covid-19.
Authorities say around 100,000 Russians have taken the Sputnik V vaccine so far, including 30,000 volunteers and 8,500 members of the military.
Russia has the world’s fourth-highest Covid-19 caseload of over 2.5 million and the 10th-highest fatality count with more than 44,000 deaths, according to official daily tallies. Popova places Russia’s coronavirus death rate at 1.7% against the global average of 2.3%, though federal monthly statistics show Covid-19 deaths are at least double the official count.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Kremlin Condemns Attempts to Justify Chechen Beheading of French Teacher

Abdulakh Anzorov , 18 , was shot dead by French police on Oct. 16 after decapitating history teacher Samuel Paty , who had displayed Prophet Muhammad cartoons in a class on freedom of speech .
The Kremlin has spoken out against attempts to justify the beheading of a French teacher by a Chechen refugee following a Chechen state television segment that cast the killer in a sympathetic light .
The Grozny television channel ’ s Monday news segment on Anzorov ’ s funeral in Chechnya called him a “ God-fearing youth ” who was driven to commit the murder by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on the feelings of believers.
” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on whether or not the statements made during the segment could be considered a justification of terrorism .
“ You know that state channels give different points of view , ” Peskov said Tuesday .
“ This point of view may possibly have nothing in common with that single point of view , which in this case might be true , and that ’ s the point of view that correlates with the position on the absolute condemnation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When asked about reports of Anzorov ’ s funeral on Monday , Peskov said he couldn ’ t confirm whether or not Anzorov was buried on Chechen soil after being repatriated from France .
“ The only thing that can be said with certainty is that this is undoubtedly a terrorist act that is not subject to anything but deep condemnation and rejection , '' Peskov told journalists .
`` The topic here is absolutely unambiguous : We are talking about a murderer , we are talking about a terrorist .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable , '' he said .
France has charged three other students with complicity in a terrorist murder following Paty ’ s death .

Abdulakh Anzorov, 18, was shot dead by French police on Oct. 16 after decapitating history teacher Samuel Paty, who had displayed Prophet Muhammad cartoons in a class on freedom of speech.
The Kremlin has spoken out against attempts to justify the beheading of a French teacher by a Chechen refugee following a Chechen state television segment that cast the killer in a sympathetic light.
The Grozny television channel’s Monday news segment on Anzorov’s funeral in Chechnya called him a “God-fearing youth” who was driven to commit the murder by an "Islamophobic provocation" and “pressure on the feelings of believers.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on whether or not the statements made during the segment could be considered a justification of terrorism.
“You know that state channels give different points of view,” Peskov said Tuesday. “This point of view may possibly have nothing in common with that single point of view, which in this case might be true, and that’s the point of view that correlates with the position on the absolute condemnation of this murder and unacceptability of such actions.”
When asked about reports of Anzorov’s funeral on Monday, Peskov said he couldn’t confirm whether or not Anzorov was buried on Chechen soil after being repatriated from France.
“The only thing that can be said with certainty is that this is undoubtedly a terrorist act that is not subject to anything but deep condemnation and rejection," Peskov told journalists.
"The topic here is absolutely unambiguous: We are talking about a murderer, we are talking about a terrorist. And his actions are absolutely condemned and are unacceptable," he said.
France has charged three other students with complicity in a terrorist murder following Paty’s death.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Study Links Siberian Wildfires to Arctic Warming

Uncontrolled forest fires within the Arctic Circle have set records this year for both their cumulative number and the amount of CO2 emissions .
The extent of June 2020 snow cover in the Eurasian Arctic was the lowest level recorded in the 54 years since satellite records began , while September 2020 extent of sea ice was the second-lowest in 42 years , the report said .
Record-setting wildfires in far northeastern Russia in 2020 are linked to extreme weather changes in the warming Arctic , a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sakha Republic offer another example of the impact of the extreme warm spring and summer air temperatures in the Eurasian Arctic , ” the NOAA Arctic Report Card said .
Temperature trends over the past four decades show that “ conditions are becoming more favorable for fire growth , with more intense burning , more fire growth episodes and greater consumption of fuels.
” Climate scientists have attributed wildfires to a combination of unusually warm weather in vast parts of Siberia and dry soil .
NOAA Arctic Report Card contributors described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an integrated system with cascading effects .
“ Changes in the Arctic climate are important because the Arctic acts as a refrigerator for the rest of the world , ” AP quoted Environment and Climate Change Canada scientist Lawrence Mudryk as saying .
The Arctic , which has seen the second-warmest temperatures on record the past year , is warming at more than twice the global average .
Russia , the world 's fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter whose economy heavily depends on oil and gas , has been slow to take steps to @ @ @ @ @

Uncontrolled forest fires within the Arctic Circle have set records this year for both their cumulative number and the amount of CO2 emissions. The extent of June 2020 snow cover in the Eurasian Arctic was the lowest level recorded in the 54 years since satellite records began, while September 2020 extent of sea ice was the second-lowest in 42 years, the report said.
Record-setting wildfires in far northeastern Russia in 2020 are linked to extreme weather changes in the warming Arctic, a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Tuesday.
“The extreme wildfires in 2020 in Sakha Republic offer another example of the impact of the extreme warm spring and summer air temperatures in the Eurasian Arctic,” the NOAA Arctic Report Card said.
Temperature trends over the past four decades show that “conditions are becoming more favorable for fire growth, with more intense burning, more fire growth episodes and greater consumption of fuels.”
Climate scientists have attributed wildfires to a combination of unusually warm weather in vast parts of Siberia and dry soil.
NOAA Arctic Report Card contributors described the Arctic ecosystem to the Associated Press as an integrated system with cascading effects.
“Changes in the Arctic climate are important because the Arctic acts as a refrigerator for the rest of the world,” AP quoted Environment and Climate Change Canada scientist Lawrence Mudryk as saying.
“It helps cool the planet.”
The Arctic, which has seen the second-warmest temperatures on record the past year, is warming at more than twice the global average.
Russia, the world's fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter whose economy heavily depends on oil and gas, has been slow to take steps to reduce its carbon emissions.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Defense Brings Evidence in Trial of Russian Hooligans

Bache , from Portsmouth in southeast England , is too frail to attend the trial , but his son Harry is representing him .
They face a jail sentence of up to 15 years if found guilty in the trial in Aix-en-Provence that runs until Friday .
Pavel Kossov and Mikhail Ivkine , both 34 , are accused of beating 55-year-old Andrew Bache , who suffered brain injuries in the violence that broke out before England played Russia in the southern French port city of Marseille on Jun .
11 , 2016 .
The trial of two Russian men , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an English football supporter during Euro 2016 that left him in a wheelchair , continued Wednesday with the defense presenting video evidence .
The video evidence presented in court included the progression of the aggression against Bache .
At 5:00pm and 20 seconds , according to the camera of the city of Marseille , Ivkine threw a stainless steel chair towards an apparently lost Englishman , Bache , a few metres in front of him .
The projectile appeared to hit Bache in the shoulder and head but he did not fall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the head from behind sending Bache face first into the floor as he did not try to protect himself .
A third unidentified Russian supporter then hit him again in the face while he was inanimate , with Kossov weighing in with a kick to the kidneys .
Within 15 seconds , the life of Bache changed irrevocably .
The two accused were arrested in Germany in February 2018 , 20 months after Bache suffered his life-changing injuries , while they were on their way to a match featuring Spartak Moscow in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France since their arrest .
They deny being hooligans and on Wednesday , their defense team unveiled new videos , absent from the case so far .
The first shows that the chair thrown by Ivkine only grazed the victim .
`` Mr. Bache was not hit either in the shoulder or in the head , '' said defense lawyer Julien Pinelli .
Another video , broadcast at the time by the French channel BFMTV , showed Russian supporters being pursued by English fans in the small streets near the Old Port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turquoise shorts , is being chased by an Englishman who is seen standing next to Bache during the attack video .
Kossov 's lawyer , Alain Duflot , said it was surprising that the images , available on social networks , had been ignored until now , and questioned the efficacy of the British investigation .
He said that the two men had been identified following the seizure of a cellphone belonging to John Askey , an Englishman present in Marseille that day .
Detective Superintendent Andy Barnes described Askey as `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and violence . ''

Bache, from Portsmouth in southeast England, is too frail to attend the trial, but his son Harry is representing him.
They face a jail sentence of up to 15 years if found guilty in the trial in Aix-en-Provence that runs until Friday.
Pavel Kossov and Mikhail Ivkine, both 34, are accused of beating 55-year-old Andrew Bache, who suffered brain injuries in the violence that broke out before England played Russia in the southern French port city of Marseille on Jun. 11, 2016.
The trial of two Russian men, accused of launching a savage attack on an English football supporter during Euro 2016 that left him in a wheelchair, continued Wednesday with the defense presenting video evidence.
The video evidence presented in court included the progression of the aggression against Bache.
At 5:00pm and 20 seconds, according to the camera of the city of Marseille, Ivkine threw a stainless steel chair towards an apparently lost Englishman, Bache, a few metres in front of him.
The projectile appeared to hit Bache in the shoulder and head but he did not fall.
Seven seconds later, Kossov punched him in the head from behind sending Bache face first into the floor as he did not try to protect himself.
A third unidentified Russian supporter then hit him again in the face while he was inanimate, with Kossov weighing in with a kick to the kidneys.
Within 15 seconds, the life of Bache changed irrevocably.
The two accused were arrested in Germany in February 2018, 20 months after Bache suffered his life-changing injuries, while they were on their way to a match featuring Spartak Moscow in Spain. They have been in custody in France since their arrest.
They deny being hooligans and on Wednesday, their defense team unveiled new videos, absent from the case so far.
The first shows that the chair thrown by Ivkine only grazed the victim.
"Mr. Bache was not hit either in the shoulder or in the head," said defense lawyer Julien Pinelli.
'6.57 Crew'
Another video, broadcast at the time by the French channel BFMTV, showed Russian supporters being pursued by English fans in the small streets near the Old Port.
Ivkine, recognizable because of his turquoise shorts, is being chased by an Englishman who is seen standing next to Bache during the attack video.
Kossov's lawyer, Alain Duflot, said it was surprising that the images, available on social networks, had been ignored until now, and questioned the efficacy of the British investigation.
He said that the two men had been identified following the seizure of a cellphone belonging to John Askey, an Englishman present in Marseille that day.
Detective Superintendent Andy Barnes described Askey as "a man with a past linked to football and violence."


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Russia Denies Turkish Report of Sputnik Vaccine Refusal

Russia ’ s state-run TASS news agency on Wednesday cited Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca telling the Habertürk newspaper that the vaccine had failed to obtain a license in Turkey .
TASS later quoted a source in the Russian Direct Investment Fund as saying the initial newspaper report was `` fake news . ''
`` Negotiations with Turkey are continuing .
The quotes [ of the representative of the Turkish Health Ministry ] are an example of fake news , '' the source said , according to TASS .
Countries are rushing to approve and purchase vaccines proven to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain last week became the first Western country to greenlight mass vaccination .
Russia has touted Sputnik V as a cheaper , easier-to-transport alternative to Western-made vaccines and has said it is 95 % effective based on interim results from its ongoing Phase 3 trials .
While the international community has largely responded with skepticism , countries like India , Uzbekistan , Mexico , Nepal , Egypt and Venezuela have signed on to purchase the Russian-made vaccine .
On Nov. 27 , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said Ankara was negotiating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
Recently , Turkey and Russia have been at odds over a six-week conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Erdogan is due to visit Azerbaijan this week to attend a victory parade in the capital of Baku marking the end of the conflict .

Russia has denied a Turkish newspaper report that Turkey won’t purchase Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.
Russia’s state-run TASS news agency on Wednesday cited Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca telling the Habertürk newspaper that the vaccine had failed to obtain a license in Turkey. TASS later quoted a source in the Russian Direct Investment Fund as saying the initial newspaper report was "fake news."
"Negotiations with Turkey are continuing. The quotes [of the representative of the Turkish Health Ministry] are an example of fake news," the source said, according to TASS.
Countries are rushing to approve and purchase vaccines proven to be safe and effective against the coronavirus after Britain last week became the first Western country to greenlight mass vaccination.
Russia has touted Sputnik V as a cheaper, easier-to-transport alternative to Western-made vaccines and has said it is 95% effective based on interim results from its ongoing Phase 3 trials. While the international community has largely responded with skepticism, countries like India, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Nepal, Egypt and Venezuela have signed on to purchase the Russian-made vaccine.
On Nov. 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said Ankara was negotiating with Moscow on the import of a coronavirus vaccine.
Recently, Turkey and Russia have been at odds over a six-week conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Erdogan is due to visit Azerbaijan this week to attend a victory parade in the capital of Baku marking the end of the conflict.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Moscow Calls on Iran to Treat Nuclear Deal With 'Responsibility'

Russia 's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on Iran to show `` maximum responsibility '' in preserving a 2015 major nuclear deal with global powers .
Earlier this week Iran announced that it intends to install advanced centrifuges in its main nuclear enrichment plant in Natanz , raising concerns from the governments of France , Germany and the UK .
The European trio said the plans were contrary to the Iran nuclear accord , a 2015 agreement officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , or JCPOA .
`` We are also addressing the Iranian side with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrate a responsible approach , '' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying on Wednesday .
`` We believe it is necessary to show maximum responsibility in this situation , '' Ryabkov added .
The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran and several world powers -- China , the United States , France , the UK , Russia and Germany -- curbing Tehran ’ s nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of international sanctions .
The deal has been on the brink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions .
Iran has suspended several of its own commitments in retaliation beginning in May last year .
After US President-elect Joe Biden expressed readiness to restore the agreement , Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Tehran will return to full compliance with the pact as soon as other signatories do the same .

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on Iran to show "maximum responsibility" in preserving a 2015 major nuclear deal with global powers.
Earlier this week Iran announced that it intends to install advanced centrifuges in its main nuclear enrichment plant in Natanz, raising concerns from the governments of France, Germany and the UK.
The European trio said the plans were contrary to the Iran nuclear accord, a 2015 agreement officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.
"We are also addressing the Iranian side with an appeal to not raise the stakes and demonstrate a responsible approach," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti as saying on Wednesday.
"We believe it is necessary to show maximum responsibility in this situation," Ryabkov added.
The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran and several world powers -- China, the United States, France, the UK, Russia and Germany -- curbing Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.
The deal has been on the brink of collapse since outgoing US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions.
Iran has suspended several of its own commitments in retaliation beginning in May last year.
After US President-elect Joe Biden expressed readiness to restore the agreement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said Tehran will return to full compliance with the pact as soon as other signatories do the same.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Russian Cosmonauts to Receive Sputnik Virus Jab

Vaccination centers opened their doors in Moscow , initially offering the vaccine to people in risk groups , including medics and teachers .
Last week Russia launched its mass vaccination program using Sputnik V , which has been named after a Soviet-era satellite .
Developers say it is 95 percent effective based on interim trial results .
The Russian space agency said on Wednesday it planned to offer the Sputnik coronavirus vaccine to cosmonauts but insisted that the vaccination would be done on a voluntary basis .
While some Russian cosmonauts initially said they did not plan to get vaccinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday that members of the country 's space program will be inoculated — `` on a voluntary basis only . ''
`` Members of the cosmonaut corps and employees of the Cosmonaut Training Center will be among the first to get vaccinated , '' Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday , in a statement released by the Russian Direct Investment Fund that has funded the development of the vaccine .
Sputnik V `` will play an important role in ensuring the biological safety of the Russian space program , '' Health Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite the start of Russia 's vaccination campaign , Sputnik V is yet to complete its third and final phase of trials involving some 40,000 volunteers .
The vaccination of the next crew to travel to the International Space Station ( ISS ) `` has not yet been decided '' however , Roscosmos said , adding that the decision will be made by the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency .
Cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky , Pyotr Dubrov and Sergei Korsakov are due to depart to the ISS from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian cosmonauts currently on the ISS — Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov — said that they did not intend to be vaccinated against Covid-19 because it was too early to get a vaccine touted by President Vladimir Putin .
`` As soon as the vaccine is tried and tested and proves its reliability then a decision will be taken to recommend that cosmonauts get vaccinated , '' said fellow cosmonaut , Kud-Sverchkov at the time .

Vaccination centers opened their doors in Moscow, initially offering the vaccine to people in risk groups, including medics and teachers.
Last week Russia launched its mass vaccination program using Sputnik V, which has been named after a Soviet-era satellite. Developers say it is 95 percent effective based on interim trial results.
The Russian space agency said on Wednesday it planned to offer the Sputnik coronavirus vaccine to cosmonauts but insisted that the vaccination would be done on a voluntary basis.
While some Russian cosmonauts initially said they did not plan to get vaccinated, a Roscosmos spokesman told AFP on Wednesday that members of the country's space program will be inoculated — "on a voluntary basis only."
"Members of the cosmonaut corps and employees of the Cosmonaut Training Center will be among the first to get vaccinated," Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday, in a statement released by the Russian Direct Investment Fund that has funded the development of the vaccine.
Sputnik V "will play an important role in ensuring the biological safety of the Russian space program," Health Minister Mikhail Murashko added in the same statement.
Despite the start of Russia's vaccination campaign, Sputnik V is yet to complete its third and final phase of trials involving some 40,000 volunteers.
The vaccination of the next crew to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) "has not yet been decided" however, Roscosmos said, adding that the decision will be made by the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency.
Cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov and Sergei Korsakov are due to depart to the ISS from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan in April, 2021.
In September, Russian cosmonauts currently on the ISS — Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov — said that they did not intend to be vaccinated against Covid-19 because it was too early to get a vaccine touted by President Vladimir Putin.
"As soon as the vaccine is tried and tested and proves its reliability then a decision will be taken to recommend that cosmonauts get vaccinated," said fellow cosmonaut, Kud-Sverchkov at the time.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-09--Self-Isolation, Elections and Vibes: Google Ranks Top Russian-Language Searches of 2020

The Russian-language version of Google posted its end-of-year video summarizing its top searches and main events in 2020 .
Spoiler @ @ @ @ @ as depressing as you think .
The search engine ’ s annual tradition took a @ @ @ @ @ the Covid-19 pandemic , the war in Nagorno-Karabakh , the Arctic fuel spill in Norilsk @ @ @ @ @ life in Kamchatka , massive wildfires in Australia and the Beirut explosion ranking among the @ @ @ @ @ users .
The video aimed to be equally uplifting , showing people uniting for a @ @ @ @ @ another during unprecedented times with footage of neighbors bringing each other groceries and the protests @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S .
Some positive trends emerged as well @ @ @ @ @ Russian domestic tourism and people googling how to make their own antiseptics and wine at @ @ @ @ @

The Russian-language version of Google posted its end-of-year video summarizing its top searches and main events in 2020. Spoiler alert: it’s as depressing as you think.
The search engine’s annual tradition took a dark turn this year with the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Arctic fuel spill in Norilsk, mass death of sea life in Kamchatka, massive wildfires in Australia and the Beirut explosion ranking among the top news events for Russian users.
The video aimed to be equally uplifting, showing people uniting for a common cause and helping one another during unprecedented times with footage of neighbors bringing each other groceries and the protests in Khabarovsk as well as the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S.
Some positive trends emerged as well, with the rebirth of Russian domestic tourism and people googling how to make their own antiseptics and wine at home while in lockdown.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Kremlin Walks Back Putin Claims on Jailed Ex-Journalist’s Treason Charges

Putin , speaking to the presidential human rights council , claimed that Safronov is being prosecuted for passing secrets to @ @ @ @ @ at Roscosmos and not during his long career as a defense reporter at leading Russian @ @ @ @ @ misspoke Thursday by asserting that treason charges against former journalist Ivan Safronov relate to his @ @ @ @ @ s state space agency Roscosmos this year .
Safronov faces up to 20 years in @ @ @ @ @ state secrets to the Czech Republic in 2017 .
Authorities detained him in July this @ @ @ @ @ he was appointed as an adviser to Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin .
Roscosmos issued a @ @ @ @ @ that the treason charges against Safronov date back to 2017 , whereas the space agency @ @ @ @ @ At the human rights meeting , Putin also called the recent string of treason charges @ @ @ @ @ information their defense attorneys claim to be publicly available “ complete nonsense .
”

Putin, speaking to the presidential human rights council, claimed that Safronov is being prosecuted for passing secrets to the European special services while at Roscosmos and not during his long career as a defense reporter at leading Russian newspapers.
President Vladimir Putin misspoke Thursday by asserting that treason charges against former journalist Ivan Safronov relate to his short-lived career at Russia’s state space agency Roscosmos this year.
Safronov faces up to 20 years in prison on suspicion of passing state secrets to the Czech Republic in 2017. Authorities detained him in July this year, two months after he was appointed as an adviser to Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin.
Roscosmos issued a denial immediately after, maintaining that the treason charges against Safronov date back to 2017, whereas the space agency appointed him in 2020.
“He misspoke,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency following Putin’s comments.
At the human rights meeting, Putin also called the recent string of treason charges against Russian nationals for disclosing information their defense attorneys claim to be publicly available “complete nonsense.”


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Russia Moves to Further Curb Protests

Russia Moves to Further Curb Protests

Deputies in Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma , approved a pair of bills Wednesday that ban foreign funding for protest organizers as well as rallies outside law enforcement and security buildings .
Russian lawmakers have approved new restrictions on protests , prompting criticism from the opposition that they violate Russians ’ constitutional rights .
If they come into force , the bills would also label lines for single-picket protests as mass rallies , allow last-minute cancellations by the authorities and bind organizers to disclose their sources of financing .
Journalists will be separately banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their press badges from the authorities .
OVD-Info , an independent police-monitoring website that said the bills would deal “ a devastating blow to freedom of assembly in Russia , ” launched a petition against the latest restrictions .
“ We call on State Duma deputies , senators and the Russian president to fulfill their constitutional duty and prevent the adoption of laws that restrict freedoms , ” OVD-Info said .
Dmitry Vyatkin , a member of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party that holds a supermajority in both houses of parliament , submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 .
United Russia lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the restrictions while the three opposition parties voted against , according to the Duma ’ s website .
“ Maybe we should cancel Article 31 of the Constitution on freedom of assembly altogether ?
” opposition lawmaker Pavel Shperov said during debates , according to the Kommersant business daily .
Duma deputies must vote on the restrictions two more times before it receives a single vote in the upper-house Federation Council and President Vladimir Putin signs it into law .
Putin , speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reiterated his view that the foreign financiers of Russian activists seek to restrain instead of strengthen the country .
The latest protest regulations come after Putin hiked fines for protesting at unsanctioned rallies in 2012 and made demonstrating without permission from the authorities a criminal offense in 2014 .

Deputies in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved a pair of bills Wednesday that ban foreign funding for protest organizers as well as rallies outside law enforcement and security buildings.
Russian lawmakers have approved new restrictions on protests, prompting criticism from the opposition that they violate Russians’ constitutional rights.
If they come into force, the bills would also label lines for single-picket protests as mass rallies, allow last-minute cancellations by the authorities and bind organizers to disclose their sources of financing. Journalists will be separately banned from taking part in protests or hiding their press badges from the authorities.
OVD-Info, an independent police-monitoring website that said the bills would deal “a devastating blow to freedom of assembly in Russia,” launched a petition against the latest restrictions.
“We call on State Duma deputies, senators and the Russian president to fulfill their constitutional duty and prevent the adoption of laws that restrict freedoms,” OVD-Info said.
Dmitry Vyatkin, a member of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party that holds a supermajority in both houses of parliament, submitted the bill to the Duma on Nov. 17. United Russia lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the restrictions while the three opposition parties voted against, according to the Duma’s website.
“Maybe we should cancel Article 31 of the Constitution on freedom of assembly altogether?” opposition lawmaker Pavel Shperov said during debates, according to the Kommersant business daily.
Duma deputies must vote on the restrictions two more times before it receives a single vote in the upper-house Federation Council and President Vladimir Putin signs it into law.
Putin, speaking with the presidential human rights council Thursday, reiterated his view that the foreign financiers of Russian activists seek to restrain instead of strengthen the country.
The latest protest regulations come after Putin hiked fines for protesting at unsanctioned rallies in 2012 and made demonstrating without permission from the authorities a criminal offense in 2014.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--‘Gross Violation’: In Open Letter, Russian Scientists Criticize Lack of Vaccine Data

The experts said Russia ’ s state-run Gamaleya Research Institute , which is developing the jab , have ignored requests to share data — despite public pledges to do so — and have raised fresh fears over political meddling and a string of alleged shortcomings in the vaccine research .
A group of scientists from leading Russian universities has blasted the development process of Russia ’ s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine as “ completely unacceptable ” and “ ridiculous ” in an open letter raising new concerns over a lack of sufficient data on its safety and effectiveness .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostage ” to Russia ’ s political goals , they said .
“ It threatens the benign testing of the vaccine and , therefore , poses a threat to the health of Russians.
” “ This completely unacceptable — even ridiculous — political action to create a competition between vaccines is in violation of the most important testing standards , ” wrote the scientists — led by Vasiliy Vlassov , an esteemed epidemiologist at Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics , former adviser to the Russian Health Ministry and World Health Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian Academy of Science commission against the falsification of research .
The group heavily criticized Russia ’ s decision to start a mass vaccination program — which is officially only open to healthcare workers and teachers under the age of 60 with no underlying health conditions — while large-scale medical trials were still at such an early stage .
Russia first published data on the vaccine ’ s efficacy after it had recorded just 20 cases of Covid-19 among volunteers — a threshold that a number of international regulators deem far too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , had to hit at least 90 cases before they could publish interim results .
Concerns were first raised over Russia ’ s Phase 2 trials — a limited program which involved just 76 volunteers — in the summer , after its results were published in The Lancet .
But as Russia moved to Phase 3 trials and launched mass vaccinations , worries over poor standards of scientific research have compounded .
The letter was written by Vlassov along with Olga Rebrova , a professor at the Russian National Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific editor of Bionica Media .
It was first published in November , and first reported Thursday by BBC Russia after having been sent to The Lancet in October .
Russia launched its mass vaccination program last weekend .
In addition to volunteers in medical trials , tens of thousands of the country ’ s political elite and healthcare workers had already been given the vaccine before it became widely available .
Doctors told The Moscow Times this week they are highly skeptical about having the jab .
Only limited data on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published , with 39 confirmed cases in the volunteer group and a claimed efficacy of around 92 % .
That is based on eight volunteers who were administered the vaccine catching Covid-19 , and 31 in the placebo group .
Russia has also not released details of the ages of participants in the trials or results broken down by demographic group .
Vlassov believes this indicates that Russia prioritized vaccinating people under 60 , as the vaccine could prove to be more effective on younger people and thus lead to more impressive results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Western vaccine trials , Russia split its volunteers into different-sized groups : 14,095 received the vaccine and 4,699 got the placebo — a three-to-one ratio .
In its guidance on vaccine trials , U.S. regulators caution against conducting large-scale trials on anything other than a one-to-one ratio , as reducing the pool of volunteers receiving the placebo can skew results and could make it harder to catch enough different demographic groups across ages , health conditions and ethnicities to make statistically meaningful comparisons .
“ 31 of 4,699 in the placebo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute terms and could easily change .
The ratio of eight to 31 does not look statistically significant , ” said Konstantin Andreev , a medical researcher at U.S.-based Northwestern University who signed a different open letter criticizing the research .
Adding more confusion to the results of Russia ’ s Phase 3 trials , deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova told reporters last Friday that 273 volunteers had been infected with Covid-19 , hailing the fact that meant only 1.5 % had caught the disease .
That number is misleading , Vlassov said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a comparison of infection rates among a vaccinated group with a non-vaccinated group , not the overall infection rate .
Moreover , Sputnik V developers are set to publish the next batch of interim results when there are 78 confirmed infections among the volunteers , and have not yet done so .
The Russian scientists also called on leading medical journal The Lancet , which published Russia ’ s only peer-reviewed study on the vaccine ’ s early trials , to retract the article which has drawn criticism from scientists around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine ’ s safety and whether it triggered an antibody response among a very small cohort of 76 volunteers .
Similar early-stage studies by the other vaccine candidates used significantly larger pools — up to 600 in the case of Moderna , the BBC reported .
“ We believe that poor methodology , study design flaws , errors in data analysis , and a poor description of the study call into question the main conclusions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine , ” Vlassov and his colleagues , members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicine , wrote .
Russian and international scientists separately requested the Russian developers share more data on the trials — as they had pledged to do in The Lancet paper .
Neither received the data , nor an acknowledgement of their request .

The experts said Russia’s state-run Gamaleya Research Institute, which is developing the jab, has ignored requests to share data — despite public pledges to do so — and have raised fresh fears over political meddling and a string of alleged shortcomings in the vaccine research.
A group of scientists from leading Russian universities has blasted the development process of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine as “completely unacceptable” and “ridiculous” in an open letter raising new concerns over a lack of sufficient data on its safety and effectiveness.
The race-like atmosphere made the vaccine developers “hostage” to Russia’s political goals, they said. “It threatens the benign testing of the vaccine and, therefore, poses a threat to the health of Russians.”
“This completely unacceptable — even ridiculous — political action to create a competition between vaccines is in violation of the most important testing standards,” wrote the scientists — led by Vasiliy Vlassov, an esteemed epidemiologist at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, former adviser to the Russian Health Ministry and World Health Organization (WHO) and vice chairman of a Russian Academy of Science commission against the falsification of research.
The group heavily criticized Russia’s decision to start a mass vaccination program — which is officially only open to healthcare workers and teachers under the age of 60 with no underlying health conditions — while large-scale medical trials were still at such an early stage. Russia first published data on the vaccine’s efficacy after it had recorded just 20 cases of Covid-19 among volunteers — a threshold that a number of international regulators deem far too small. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, for instance, had to hit at least 90 cases before they could publish interim results.
Concerns were first raised over Russia’s Phase 2 trials — a limited program which involved just 76 volunteers — in the summer, after its results were published in The Lancet. But as Russia moved to Phase 3 trials and launched mass vaccinations, worries over poor standards of scientific research have compounded.
The letter was written by Vlassov along with Olga Rebrova, a professor at the Russian National Research Medical University, and Valery Aksyonov, scientific editor of Bionica Media. It was first published in November, and first reported Thursday by BBC Russia after having been sent to The Lancet in October.
Russia launched its mass vaccination program last weekend. In addition to volunteers in medical trials, tens of thousands of the country’s political elite and healthcare workers had already been given the vaccine before it became widely available.
Doctors told The Moscow Times this week they are highly skeptical about having the jab.
Trial differences
Only limited data on the results of the mass trials have been published, with 39 confirmed cases in the volunteer group and a claimed efficacy of around 92%. That is based on eight volunteers who were administered the vaccine catching Covid-19, and 31 in the placebo group.
Russia has also not released details of the ages of participants in the trials or results broken down by demographic group. Vlassov believes this indicates that Russia prioritized vaccinating people under 60, as the vaccine could prove to be more effective on younger people and thus lead to more impressive results for the study.
In another difference with the Western vaccine trials, Russia split its volunteers into different-sized groups: 14,095 received the vaccine and 4,699 got the placebo — a three-to-one ratio. In its guidance on vaccine trials, U.S. regulators caution against conducting large-scale trials on anything other than a one-to-one ratio, as reducing the pool of volunteers receiving the placebo can skew results and could make it harder to catch enough different demographic groups across ages, health conditions and ethnicities to make statistically meaningful comparisons.
“31 of 4,699 in the placebo group is a fairly small number in absolute terms and could easily change. The ratio of eight to 31 does not look statistically significant,” said Konstantin Andreev, a medical researcher at U.S.-based Northwestern University who signed a different open letter criticizing the research.
Adding more confusion to the results of Russia’s Phase 3 trials, deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova told reporters last Friday that 273 volunteers had been infected with Covid-19, hailing the fact that meant only 1.5% had caught the disease. That number is misleading, Vlassov said, since efficacy is calculated based on a comparison of infection rates among a vaccinated group with a non-vaccinated group, not the overall infection rate. Moreover, Sputnik V developers are set to publish the next batch of interim results when there are 78 confirmed infections among the volunteers, and have not yet done so.
Retraction
The Russian scientists also called on leading medical journal The Lancet, which published Russia’s only peer-reviewed study on the vaccine’s early trials, to retract the article which has drawn criticism from scientists around the world.
That article summarized research on the vaccine’s safety and whether it triggered an antibody response among a very small cohort of 76 volunteers. Similar early-stage studies by the other vaccine candidates used significantly larger pools — up to 600 in the case of Moderna, the BBC reported.
“We believe that poor methodology, study design flaws, errors in data analysis, and a poor description of the study call into question the main conclusions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine,” Vlassov and his colleagues, members of the Russian Society of Specialists in Evidence Based Medicine, wrote.
Russian and international scientists separately requested the Russian developers share more data on the trials — as they had pledged to do in The Lancet paper. Neither received the data, nor an acknowledgement of their request.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--1 in 5 Young Russians Would Vote for Putin: Poll

If 36 % of voters aged 18-24 said they would cast their ballots for Putin in 2019 , only 20 % expressed the same intention in November 2020 , the Levada Center polling agency said .
President Vladimir Putin 's support among young voters has roughly halved in the past year , according to independent survey results released Thursday .
While sociologists have observed Putin ’ s support among young Russians tailing off in the past two years , the trend has intensified in recent months , the Open Media news outlet quoted Levada deputy director Denis Volkov as saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of respondents in 2020 told Levada they would vote for Putin if elections were held on the nearest Sunday .
These results stayed relatively stable from 2019 , when 38 % said they would vote for Putin .
After Putin , 24 % of all respondents said they would not have voted and 16 % said they had no preferred candidate .
Other age groups either increased or maintained their voting preferences for Putin , who has been in power for 20 years and has the authority to stay for 12 more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polled 1,607 Russians over the age of 18 in person across 50 federal subjects on Nov. 19-26 .

If 36% of voters aged 18-24 said they would cast their ballots for Putin in 2019, only 20% expressed the same intention in November 2020, the Levada Center polling agency said.
President Vladimir Putin's support among young voters has roughly halved in the past year, according to independent survey results released Thursday.
While sociologists have observed Putin’s support among young Russians tailing off in the past two years, the trend has intensified in recent months, the Open Media news outlet quoted Levada deputy director Denis Volkov as saying.
Across all age groups, 39% of respondents in 2020 told Levada they would vote for Putin if elections were held on the nearest Sunday. These results stayed relatively stable from 2019, when 38% said they would vote for Putin.
After Putin, 24% of all respondents said they would not have voted and 16% said they had no preferred candidate.
Other age groups either increased or maintained their voting preferences for Putin, who has been in power for 20 years and has the authority to stay for 12 more under newly passed constitutional reforms.
Levada polled 1,607 Russians over the age of 18 in person across 50 federal subjects on Nov. 19-26.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Evidence of Widespread Atrocities Emerges Following Karabakh War

A steady stream of videos depicting shocking atrocities by Azerbaijani soldiers against Armenian civilians and prisoners of war has emerged on social media .
The videos , shot by soldiers and distributed on various Telegram news channels , depict a wide variety of torture , humiliations and mutilations of corpses .
There have been several executions of captives shown , and at least two live beheadings .
The authenticity of most of the videos has yet to be confirmed , and the Azerbaijani government has promised to prosecute all such crimes .
In a Nov. 21 statement , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening a criminal case to investigate reports of “ insulting the bodies of Armenian servicemen killed during the fighting for the liberation of our lands , as well as inhumane treatment of captured Armenian servicemen.
” “ The perpetrators of such illegal acts will be identified and brought to justice , ” it continued .
It added , however , that according to initial investigations “ many videos were found to be fake.
” A spokesperson for the prosecutor ’ s office , Kanan Zeynalov , told Eurasianet on Dec. 8 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too early to say anything today , ” Zeynalov said .
International human rights groups also are investigating .
Human Rights Watch issued a report on Dec. 2 on humiliations of captured Armenian soldiers , but it has not yet addressed the more serious atrocities .
“ Extrajudicial executions and despoiling dead are separate war crimes and we are still looking into it .
It 's complicated , as it 's hard to verify the videos , ” the organization ’ s associate director for Europe and Central Asia , Giorgi Gogia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos have emerged showing apparent Armenian atrocities against Azerbaijanis , including at least one execution .
The Armenian authorities have not yet announced any criminal investigations into the reports .
Gogia said Human Rights Watch also is investigating reports of Armenian atrocities against Azerbaijanis .
The steady drip of the videos has traumatized Armenians already reeling from their crushing loss in the 44-day war , in which Azerbaijan managed to take back a large part of the territories that it had lost in the last major war between the two sides in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against Armenian servicemen , as well as the mutilation of the bodies and photos circulating on social media , deepen the anxiety of family members [ of current prisoners ] , the anxiety over the return of their relatives , ” a group of Armenian civil society groups wrote in a Dec. 3 letter to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights .
The issue is being hotly discussed in Azerbaijan , especially following the release of the second live beheading video on Dec. 7 .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the videos are real and believe they are part of a negative PR campaign .
One prominent political analyst , Arastun Orujlu , wrote on Facebook that “ personally , I am convinced that these videos are fake , ” part of a Russian-orchestrated campaign to discredit Azerbaijan .
`` It is an attempt to portray the victorious army of Azerbaijan to the world like a criminal gang .
We must do our best to prevent this , '' he wrote .
Many other Azerbaijanis have been skeptical of the government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crimes and have demanded accountability in the process .
A group of civil society activists issued a statement calling on Azerbaijani prosecutors “ treat the images on social media as a violation of international humanitarian law ” while also asking the international community to pressure Armenia to do the same .
“ I have never said that the Interior Ministry or the State Security Service should arrest anyone .
But this is already a red line , ” wrote activist Ilkin Rustamzada on Facebook .
“ Anyone who films an Armenian being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be severely punished .
Anyone who puts an ISIS brand on the nation ’ s war has to be punished.
” One local NGO , the Baku Human Rights Club , is collecting videos of atrocities from both sides and is working with international partners to help authenticate them .
“ If [ a video ] isn ’ t authentic then we need to know that it ’ s not authentic , ” the group ’ s chairman , Rasul Jafarov , told Eurasianet .
“ But if it is real , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the videos need to be analyzed as part of that criminal case and those found guilty should be brought to justice.
” Given the large number of videos that have emerged , and the fact that soldiers apparently felt comfortable enough to show off the atrocities , some analysts have said that the behavior was at least implicitly condoned by the authorities .
“ These are widespread , consistent and systematic war crimes , tolerated or even encouraged by commanders , ” wrote Ryan O ’ Farrell , an independent military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this conflict , on Twitter .
“ [ B ] etween the number of videos , their frequency and the number of participants , it 's impossible to not assume that the Azerbaijani state has given its tacit approval to these war crimes .
These are n't ‘ bad apples.
’ This is systematic , ” O ’ Farrell added .
“ I 'll believe otherwise when the Azerbaijani government arrests the hundreds of soldiers who proudly filmed their participation in executions , torture , beheadings and mutilations of civilians and POWs.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive image of the country , the perpetrators need to be found and punished , ” Fuad Shahbaz , a political and military analyst , told Eurasianet .
“ Some foreign experts are skeptical , but I think that servicemen who took part in these videos will be punished .
It may not be in two days , ten days , 20 days , but I think it will happen.
” Still other Azerbaijanis have cheered the abuse of Armenians .
Elvin Basqalli , a news presenter at the Azerbaijani network Space TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenge after crimes against Azerbaijanis , citing the Khojaly massacre of the first Karabakh war and the bombing of civilian targets in Ganja and Barda in this war .
“ I appreciate such treatment of Armenians , ” Basqalli wrote .
“ If the Armenians had known at the time that they would be beheaded , they would not have committed such tragedies.
” Other Azerbaijanis objected and called for him to be fired from his post , but as of the time this piece was posted he remained in his job .

A steady stream of videos depicting shocking atrocities by Azerbaijani soldiers against Armenian civilians and prisoners of war has emerged on social media. The videos, shot by soldiers and distributed on various Telegram news channels, depict a wide variety of torture, humiliations and mutilations of corpses. There have been several executions of captives shown, and at least two live beheadings. The authenticity of most of the videos has yet to be confirmed, and the Azerbaijani government has promised to prosecute all such crimes. In a Nov. 21 statement, the state prosecutor’s office announced it was opening a criminal case to investigate reports of “insulting the bodies of Armenian servicemen killed during the fighting for the liberation of our lands, as well as inhumane treatment of captured Armenian servicemen.” “The perpetrators of such illegal acts will be identified and brought to justice,” it continued. It added, however, that according to initial investigations “many videos were found to be fake.”
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, Kanan Zeynalov, told Eurasianet on Dec. 8 that the investigations were continuing. “It is too early to say anything today,” Zeynalov said. International human rights groups also are investigating. Human Rights Watch issued a report on Dec. 2 on humiliations of captured Armenian soldiers, but it has not yet addressed the more serious atrocities. “Extrajudicial executions and despoiling dead are separate war crimes and we are still looking into it. It's complicated, as it's hard to verify the videos,” the organization’s associate director for Europe and Central Asia, Giorgi Gogia, told Eurasianet. A smaller number of videos have emerged showing apparent Armenian atrocities against Azerbaijanis, including at least one execution. The Armenian authorities have not yet announced any criminal investigations into the reports. Gogia said Human Rights Watch also is investigating reports of Armenian atrocities against Azerbaijanis. The steady drip of the videos has traumatized Armenians already reeling from their crushing loss in the 44-day war, in which Azerbaijan managed to take back a large part of the territories that it had lost in the last major war between the two sides in the 1990s. “The videos of atrocities committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against Armenian servicemen, as well as the mutilation of the bodies and photos circulating on social media, deepen the anxiety of family members [of current prisoners], the anxiety over the return of their relatives,” a group of Armenian civil society groups wrote in a Dec. 3 letter to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The issue is being hotly discussed in Azerbaijan, especially following the release of the second live beheading video on Dec. 7. A large number of Azerbaijanis refuse to believe the videos are real and believe they are part of a negative PR campaign. One prominent political analyst, Arastun Orujlu, wrote on Facebook that “personally, I am convinced that these videos are fake,” part of a Russian-orchestrated campaign to discredit Azerbaijan. "It is an attempt to portray the victorious army of Azerbaijan to the world like a criminal gang. We must do our best to prevent this," he wrote. Many other Azerbaijanis have been skeptical of the government’s sincerity in its promise to appropriately prosecute the crimes and have demanded accountability in the process. A group of civil society activists issued a statement calling on Azerbaijani prosecutors “treat the images on social media as a violation of international humanitarian law” while also asking the international community to pressure Armenia to do the same. “I have never said that the Interior Ministry or the State Security Service should arrest anyone. But this is already a red line,” wrote activist Ilkin Rustamzada on Facebook. “Anyone who films an Armenian being beheaded, or beheads him, should be severely punished. Anyone who puts an ISIS brand on the nation’s war has to be punished.”
news Karabakh Rivals Adjust to Life Along New Borders Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Russian Oligarch’s Son Lost $50M Trading at University

The son of a Russian oligarch lost $ 50 million in day trading while studying at university in the U.K. , it emerged this week .
Temur Akhmedov said the staggering losses were bankrolled by his father , Russian-Azeri billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov .
After some initial success trading on the stock market , Temur hit a losing streak and started pouring eight-figure sums into increasingly risky trades in an attempt to claw back his losses , Bloomberg reported the 27-year old as saying .
The humbling claim came as part of court proceedings in London , where Temur ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to force her ex-husband to honor a court-mandated $ 600 million divorce settlement .
The 65-year-old Farkhad is accused of hiding his assets to avoid having to hand over the cash to his former wife in a scheme involving his son .
However , Temur said the assets he is accused of hiding were actually lost through day trading — a fact his mother was aware of at the time .
In court Temur added that his father was “ very angry ” at his substantial losses over such a short period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a string of “ bad luck .
”

The son of a Russian oligarch lost $50 million in day trading while studying at university in the U.K., it emerged this week.
Temur Akhmedov said the staggering losses were bankrolled by his father, Russian-Azeri billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov. After some initial success trading on the stock market, Temur hit a losing streak and started pouring eight-figure sums into increasingly risky trades in an attempt to claw back his losses, Bloomberg reported the 27-year old as saying.
The humbling claim came as part of court proceedings in London, where Temur’s mother, Tatiana Akhmedova, is trying to force her ex-husband to honor a court-mandated $600 million divorce settlement. The 65-year-old Farkhad is accused of hiding his assets to avoid having to hand over the cash to his former wife in a scheme involving his son.
However, Temur said the assets he is accused of hiding were actually lost through day trading — a fact his mother was aware of at the time. In court Temur added that his father was “very angry” at his substantial losses over such a short period of time. Temur put them down to a string of “bad luck.”


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Russian Navy to Join NATO Countries for Joint Exercises in 10-Year First

The Russian Navy will participate in joint exercises alongside NATO members for the first time in 10 years , the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported , citing the Black Sea Fleet .
The Aman-2021 multinational exercises will take place in February off the coast of Karachi , Pakistan .
In addition to Russia , the exercises will also feature ships from Pakistan , the United States , Britain , China , Japan , Turkey , the Philippines , Malaysia , Sri Lanka and Indonesia .
The last time the Russian Navy operated together with NATO ships was in 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Bold Monarch exercise .
In September , Russia 's Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov accused the western military bloc of beefing up its presence close to Russian borders .
`` The growth of U.S. and NATO military activity is not taking place in the Atlantic or Caribbean , but at a distance of 20-30 kilometers from Russian borders , '' Gerasimov said .
He added that reports of Russian aggressive behavior that are being circulated in NATO are false .
A NATO report released earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its main threats in the coming decade .

The Russian Navy will participate in joint exercises alongside NATO members for the first time in 10 years, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the Black Sea Fleet.
The Aman-2021 multinational exercises will take place in February off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan.
In addition to Russia, the exercises will also feature ships from Pakistan, the United States, Britain, China, Japan, Turkey, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The last time the Russian Navy operated together with NATO ships was in 2011 off the coast of Spain as part of the Bold Monarch exercise.
In September, Russia's Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov accused the western military bloc of beefing up its presence close to Russian borders.
"The growth of U.S. and NATO military activity is not taking place in the Atlantic or Caribbean, but at a distance of 20-30 kilometers from Russian borders," Gerasimov said. He added that reports of Russian aggressive behavior that are being circulated in NATO are false.
A NATO report released earlier this month identifies Russia as one of its main threats in the coming decade.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Horse Bites Off St. Petersburg Man’s Nose After Attempted Kiss – Reports

Now , another St. Petersburg man has lost his nose — this time to a horse 's bite during a failed attempt at romance , the local Fontanka.ru news website reported Thursday .
In one of the most famous tales from St. Petersburg — Nikolai Gogol ’ s “ The Nose ” — Major Kovalyov wakes up one day to find his nose has disappeared from his face .
He learns that the anthropomorphic nose has developed a life of its own , eventually even surpassing him in rank .
The inebriated 25-year-old tried to make a pass at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around midnight , the outlet cited St. Petersburg police as saying .
Having been rejected , the affectionate man “ tried to kiss the animal despite the woman ’ s warnings that it may bite ” and the horse responded by biting at his nose .
The unnamed lover-turned-bite victim was hospitalized following the bite .
“ Police joked that the guy got off easy , ” Fontanka.ru reported .
“ If he had come from the rear , the hoof injuries would have been much more severe than a cosmetic defect.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Telegram channel showed the man it identified as Vasya , a nickname for Vasily , with his amputated nose covered in gauze .
Unlike Gogol ’ s story , there have been no reported sightings of this nose walking around town following the amputation .

Now, another St. Petersburg man has lost his nose — this time to a horse's bite during a failed attempt at romance, the local Fontanka.ru news website reported Thursday.
In one of the most famous tales from St. Petersburg — Nikolai Gogol’s “The Nose” — Major Kovalyov wakes up one day to find his nose has disappeared from his face. He learns that the anthropomorphic nose has developed a life of its own, eventually even surpassing him in rank.
The inebriated 25-year-old tried to make a pass at a woman on horseback in the city center around midnight, the outlet cited St. Petersburg police as saying.
Having been rejected, the affectionate man “tried to kiss the animal despite the woman’s warnings that it may bite” and the horse responded by biting at his nose.
The unnamed lover-turned-bite victim was hospitalized following the bite.
“Police joked that the guy got off easy,” Fontanka.ru reported.
“If he had come from the rear, the hoof injuries would have been much more severe than a cosmetic defect.”
A graphic photograph posted by the Baza Telegram channel showed the man it identified as Vasya, a nickname for Vasily, with his amputated nose covered in gauze.
Unlike Gogol’s story, there have been no reported sightings of this nose walking around town following the amputation.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-10--Russian Cossacks to Enforce New Year’s Ban

Krasnodar region Governor Venyamin Kondratyev called off Christmas and New Year celebrations to slow the spread of Covid-19 as the popular domestic tourism destination saw record-breaking case numbers in November .
The Krasnodar region , with a population of 5.6 million , has officially confirmed 23,636 coronavirus infections and 668 deaths as of Wednesday .
Authorities in southern Russia say they will deploy uniformed Cossacks alongside police officers on New Year ’ s Eve to enforce a ban on mass celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ More than 7,500 Cossacks will be involved in protecting public order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional leaders Wednesday .
“ I ask the police to organize watches on central squares in cities and villages to prevent spontaneous festivities , ” the Krasnodar region administration quoted him as saying on its website .
“ We need to strengthen patrols where there will be clusters of people.
” The governor urged traffic police and local leaders to organize security , emergency services and snow removal equipment for the likely influx of motorists from outside the region during the holidays .
Authorities will also step up inspections of fireworks vendors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration said .
“ There will be no mass celebrations or New Year ’ s concerts this year , ” Kondratyev said .
Imperial Russia-era military societies known as Cossacks were nearly rendered extinct under the Soviet policy of “ Decossackization ” until the 1990s , when then-President Boris Yeltsin issued a decree on their revival as an “ ethno-cultural ” group .
Championed as a symbol of patriotism as the Kremlin made a return to conservative values , Cossack groups have mushroomed across Russia under President Vladimir Putin .

Krasnodar region Governor Venyamin Kondratyev called off Christmas and New Year celebrations to slow the spread of Covid-19 as the popular domestic tourism destination saw record-breaking case numbers in November. The Krasnodar region, with a population of 5.6 million, has officially confirmed 23,636 coronavirus infections and 668 deaths as of Wednesday.
Authorities in southern Russia say they will deploy uniformed Cossacks alongside police officers on New Year’s Eve to enforce a ban on mass celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“More than 7,500 Cossacks will be involved in protecting public order,” Kondratyev said at a meeting among regional leaders Wednesday.
“I ask the police to organize watches on central squares in cities and villages to prevent spontaneous festivities,” the Krasnodar region administration quoted him as saying on its website. “We need to strengthen patrols where there will be clusters of people.”
The governor urged traffic police and local leaders to organize security, emergency services and snow removal equipment for the likely influx of motorists from outside the region during the holidays.
Authorities will also step up inspections of fireworks vendors to root out uncertified products, the Krasnodar administration said.
“There will be no mass celebrations or New Year’s concerts this year,” Kondratyev said.
Imperial Russia-era military societies known as Cossacks were nearly rendered extinct under the Soviet policy of “Decossackization” until the 1990s, when then-President Boris Yeltsin issued a decree on their revival as an “ethno-cultural” group.
Championed as a symbol of patriotism as the Kremlin made a return to conservative values, Cossack groups have mushroomed across Russia under President Vladimir Putin.