themoscowtimes--2020-08-21--Russia Records Nearly 950K Coronavirus Cases

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg .
Russia 's fatality rate has remained low @ @ @ @ @ , raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures .
Russian authorities began easing anti-virus @ @ @ @ @ a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on constitutional @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 .
Both events were initially postponed due @ @ @ @ @ cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1 .
In the capital , masks are mandatory in @ @ @ @ @ but not in the streets .
Several institutes in Russia are working on a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Ministry has said it developed a `` safe '' vaccine following clinical trials on a @ @ @ @ @ trials are ongoing , and the Defense Ministry expects clinical trials to be fully completed @ @ @ @ @

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


themoscowtimes--2020-08-21--Russian Doctors Allow Navalny to Be Evacuated to Germany for Treatment

Russian doctors have given permission for opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be evacuated for medical treatment in Germany after appeals by his team that included his wife writing directly to President Vladimir Putin on Friday .
Navalny , 44 , fell violently ill and lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday .
After his plane made an emergency landing he was transported to Omsk Emergency Hospital No .
1 , where a doctor told journalists the hospital was “ working on saving his life.
” Navalny has remained in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The opposition leader ’ s close aides had pushed for the Kremlin critic to be transferred to a leading German toxicology center , citing a lack of vital equipment at the Siberian regional hospital and a worry that Russian doctors would be pressured by the authorities to withhold details of the cause of his illness .
An air ambulance left Berlin early Friday morning to collect Navalny and bring him to the Charité hospital in the city , but the Omsk hospital ’ s head doctor Alexander Murakhovsky said Navalny ’ s condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transferred , triggering a stand-off .
But late Friday evening , around 10 pm Omsk time , deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko told journalists gathered outside his hospital that the Kremlin critic ’ s condition was now stable enough for him to fly .
“ We do not object to transfer to another hospital .
It will happen today , ” the state-run TASS news agency cited him as saying .
In a joint press conference on Thursday , German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said their countries were ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After Russian doctors barred his transfer , Navalny ’ s wife appealed directly to President Vladimir Putin in a letter .
Asking for permission that he be allowed to be transferred to Germany , she wrote that her husband “ needs qualified medical assistance.
” On Thursday , the Kremlin had wished Navalny a speedy recovery and said that if he needed to leave the country for treatment , the necessary travel requests would be considered .
Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also urged people not to speculate about the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait for test results .
In a video recording published Friday afternoon , Omsk head doctor Murakohovsky described one of local doctors ’ “ five working diagnoses ” on Navalny ’ s condition as “ a metabolic disorder , caused by a sharp drop in blood sugar levels during the flight.
” He added that tests would be ready in two days .
That statement , however , conflicted with his deputy Kalinichenko ’ s claim that test results had already been returned .
Kalinichenko said doctors had all but ruled out poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been found in blood and urine samples , ” the state-run TASS news agency cited Kalinichenko as saying .
“ The diagnosis of poisoning will remain at the back of our minds .
But we don ’ t believe the patient was poisoned.
” Adding to the confusion over the true state of Navalny ’ s condition was a claim by the head of Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation Ivan Zhdanov , who was also at the Omsk hospital , that police reported that a “ deadly toxin ” was found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous to those around him , ” but that law enforcement wouldn ’ t name the substance .
Later Friday the Omsk regional police department told Interfax they had identified an industrial chemical substance in Navalny ’ s system .
They said the substance , 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate — mainly used in plastic packaging for food — could have entered his body through contact with a plastic cup .
Navalny ’ s team believes a toxic substance was added to a cup of tea he drank at an airport cafe in Tomsk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ details and shifting stance from doctors point to pressure from the authorities who hope that toxins will leave his body before German toxicologists are able to examine him .
Before the Omsk hospital approved his transfer , Navalny ’ s aides had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights for support , the court said Friday .
“ Until now doctors had said that they are ready to authorize transportation .
That is why we organized it in the shortest possible time , ” Yarmysh wrote on Twitter Friday morning .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors are not giving permission .
This decision , of course , was not made by them but by the Kremlin.
” In a separate tweet Yarmysh called the move to bar Navalny from being transported an “ attempt on his life.
” Navalny was returning to the Russian capital on Thursday after touring Siberia in support of independent candidates running in local elections next month .
On Wednesday , he posted a photo on Instagram from the city of Tomsk with the caption : “ Crooks wont kick themselves out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Kremlin and Russia ’ s de facto opposition leader , Navalny has faced pressure for his activism for years .
While serving a 30-day prison sentence last summer for calling on people to attend an anti-government protest , Navalny suffered an acute allergic reaction .
At least one doctor said he may have been poisoned .
In 2017 , a pro-Kremlin activist threw a chemical dye at him that left him partially blind in one eye .
That year , Navalny triggered some of the largest anti-government protests for decades after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption by then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev .
On Thursday , the local Taiga.info news website reported that Navalny may have been in Tomsk to work on an investigation into local deputies representing the ruling United Russia party .

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny arrived in a stable condition for medical treatment in Germany Saturday after appeals by his team that included his wife writing directly to President Vladimir Putin. Navalny, 44, fell violently ill and lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday. After his plane made an emergency landing he was transported to Omsk Emergency Hospital No. 1, where a doctor told journalists the hospital was “working on saving his life.” Navalny has remained in a coma and on a ventilator since. The opposition leader’s close aides had pushed for the Kremlin critic to be transferred to a leading German toxicology center, citing a lack of vital equipment at the Siberian regional hospital and a worry that Russian doctors would be pressured by the authorities to withhold details of the cause of his illness. An air ambulance left Berlin early Friday morning to collect Navalny and bring him to the Charité hospital in the city, but the Omsk hospital’s head doctor Alexander Murakhovsky said Navalny’s condition was unstable and he could not be transferred, triggering a standoff. But late Friday evening, around 10 pm Omsk time, deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko told journalists gathered outside his hospital that the Kremlin critic’s condition was now stable enough for him to fly. “We do not object to transfer to another hospital. It will happen today,” the state-run TASS news agency cited him as saying.
In a joint press conference on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said their countries were ready to provide Navalny with medical support. After Russian doctors barred his transfer, Navalny’s wife appealed directly to President Vladimir Putin in a letter. Asking for permission that he be allowed to be transferred to Germany, she wrote that her husband “needs qualified medical assistance.” On Thursday, the Kremlin had wished Navalny a speedy recovery and said that if he needed to leave the country for treatment, the necessary travel requests would be considered. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also urged people not to speculate about the cause of Navalny’s illness and to wait for test results. In a video recording published Friday afternoon, Omsk head doctor Murakohovsky described one of local doctors’ “five working diagnoses” on Navalny’s condition as “a metabolic disorder, caused by a sharp drop in blood sugar levels during the flight.” He added that tests would be ready in two days. That statement, however, conflicted with his deputy Kalinichenko’s claim that test results had already been returned. Kalinichenko said doctors had all but ruled out poisoning. “Neither poisons nor their traces have been found in blood and urine samples,” the state-run TASS news agency cited Kalinichenko as saying. “The diagnosis of poisoning will remain at the back of our minds. But we don’t believe the patient was poisoned.”
Adding to the confusion over the true state of Navalny’s condition was a claim by the head of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation Ivan Zhdanov, who was also at the Omsk hospital, that police reported that a “deadly toxin” was found in Navalny’s system that is “dangerous to those around him,” but that law enforcement wouldn’t name the substance. Later Friday the Omsk regional police department told Interfax they had identified an industrial chemical substance in Navalny’s system. They said the substance, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate — mainly used in plastic packaging for food — could have entered his body through contact with a plastic cup. Navalny’s team believes a toxic substance was added to a cup of tea he drank at an airport cafe in Tomsk. Navalny’s allies said the conflicting details and shifting stance from doctors point to pressure from the authorities who hope that toxins will leave his body before German toxicologists are able to examine him. Before the Omsk hospital approved his transfer, Navalny’s aides had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights for support, the court said Friday. “Until now doctors had said that they are ready to authorize transportation. That is why we organized it in the shortest possible time,” Yarmysh wrote on Twitter Friday morning. “Now, at the last moment, doctors are not giving permission. This decision, of course, was not made by them but by the Kremlin.” In a separate tweet Yarmysh called the move to bar Navalny from being transported an “attempt on his life.”
news 6 Prominent Russians Who Suffered Poisoning Attacks Read more
Navalny was returning to the Russian capital on Thursday after touring Siberia in support of independent candidates running in local elections next month. On Wednesday, he posted a photo on Instagram from the city of Tomsk with the caption: “Crooks wont kick themselves out of the city parliament!” A longtime critic of the Kremlin and Russia’s de facto opposition leader, Navalny has faced pressure for his activism for years. While serving a 30-day prison sentence last summer for calling on people to attend an anti-government protest, Navalny suffered an acute allergic reaction. At least one doctor said he may have been poisoned. In 2017, a pro-Kremlin activist threw a chemical dye at him that left him partially blind in one eye. That year, Navalny triggered some of the largest anti-government protests for decades after his Anti-Corruption Foundation published an investigation into corruption by then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. On Thursday, the local Taiga.info news website reported that Navalny may have been in Tomsk to work on an investigation into local deputies representing the ruling United Russia party.


themoscowtimes--2020-08-22--Opposition Figure Navalny 'Poisoned': The Latest News

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has arrived in Germany in a stable condition for treatment for a suspected poisoning .
He became violently ill on a flight to Moscow on Thursday morning and fell into a coma .
His team believes a toxic substance was added to a cup of tea he drank at an airport cafe .
Here are the latest updates : — The air ambulance transporting Navalny to Germany for treatment has landed , with the opposition leader in a stable condition according to Jaka Bizilj , the head of the Cinema for Peace NGO that organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transporting Navalny to Germany for treatment has taken off from Omsk .
— Omsk doctors have agreed to Navalny 's evacuation to a hospital in Berlin as his condition has stabilized , the hospital 's deputy chief doctor said .
The plane is expected to depart in a few hours .
— `` There is a chance that Navalny will now be able to be transported .
It is a pity that it took the doctors so long to make this decision , '' his spokeswoman tweeted .
— Navalny 's aides have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask the Russian government to allow his transfer to Germany , the court said .
— The German doctors who examined Navalny have determined it 's safe to transfer him to a German hospital by plane .
Doctors in Omsk , meanwhile , have announced that he will stay there `` until his condition stabilizes . ''
— Police say they have identified an industrial chemical substance in Navalny 's body .
The substance , 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate , could have entered his body through contact with a plastic cup , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The chemical is mainly used in plastic packaging for food .
— German medics who have arrived in Omsk on a plane sent to evacuate Navalny have been allowed to see the activist in his hospital room , his chief of staff Leonid Volkov said at a press conference in Berlin .
Members of Navalny 's team are being barred from speaking to the German medics .
`` Obviously [ the authorities ] are trying to hide something from us , '' Navalnaya says .
— Navalny 's wife Yulia Navalnaya has written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow her husband 's evacuation to a hospital in Germany .
— The German government said it is in contact with Moscow to find a solution to the `` humanitarian emergency '' of Navalny 's hospitalization .
— The Kremlin said the decision not to evacuate Navalny is `` purely medical . ''
— Navalny may have experienced a steep drop in blood sugar during his flight that caused him to lose consciousness , the Omsk hospital 's chief doctor said .
He added that doctors have refused his evacuation by plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can increase during takeoff and landing . ''
— The hospital 's deputy chief doctor said `` no trace '' of poison has been found in Navalny 's system during tests so far , contradicting previous claims by police .
— Doctors have five working diagnoses for Navalny 's condition , the head doctor at the Omsk Emergency Hospital told reporters without naming any of the potential diagnoses .
— Head of Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation Ivan Zhdanov told journalists that police reported that a “ poison ” was found in Navalny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those around him , ” but that law enforcement wouldn ’ t name the substance .
— The plane flying from Germany to Russia to pick up Navalny will arrive in an hour but doctors aren ’ t allowing him to be transported because his condition is unstable , his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh tweeted early Friday morning , calling the refusal an “ attempt on his life . ''

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has arrived in Germany in a stable condition for treatment for a suspected poisoning. He became violently ill on a flight to Moscow on Thursday morning and fell into a coma. His team believes a toxic substance was added to a cup of tea he drank at an airport cafe.
Here are the latest updates:
— The air ambulance transporting Navalny to Germany for treatment has landed, with the opposition leader in a stable condition according to Jaka Bizilj, the head of the Cinema for Peace NGO that organized the flight.
— An air ambulance transporting Navalny to Germany for treatment has taken off from Omsk.
— Omsk doctors have agreed to Navalny's evacuation to a hospital in Berlin as his condition has stabilized, the hospital's deputy chief doctor said. The plane is expected to depart in a few hours.
— "There is a chance that Navalny will now be able to be transported. It is a pity that it took the doctors so long to make this decision," his spokeswoman tweeted.
— Navalny's aides have urged the European Court of Human Rights to ask the Russian government to allow his transfer to Germany, the court said.
— The German doctors who examined Navalny have determined it's safe to transfer him to a German hospital by plane. Doctors in Omsk, meanwhile, have announced that he will stay there "until his condition stabilizes."
— Police say they have identified an industrial chemical substance in Navalny's body. The substance, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate, could have entered his body through contact with a plastic cup, the Omsk regional police department told Interfax. The chemical is mainly used in plastic packaging for food.
— German medics who have arrived in Omsk on a plane sent to evacuate Navalny have been allowed to see the activist in his hospital room, his chief of staff Leonid Volkov said at a press conference in Berlin. Members of Navalny's team are being barred from speaking to the German medics. "Obviously [the authorities] are trying to hide something from us," Navalnaya says.
— Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya has written a direct appeal to President Vladimir Putin to allow her husband's evacuation to a hospital in Germany.
— The German government said it is in contact with Moscow to find a solution to the "humanitarian emergency" of Navalny's hospitalization.
— The Kremlin said the decision not to evacuate Navalny is "purely medical."
— Navalny may have experienced a steep drop in blood sugar during his flight that caused him to lose consciousness, the Omsk hospital's chief doctor said. He added that doctors have refused his evacuation by plane because "this [metabolic] instability can increase during takeoff and landing."
— The hospital's deputy chief doctor said "no trace" of poison has been found in Navalny's system during tests so far, contradicting previous claims by police.
— Doctors have five working diagnoses for Navalny's condition, the head doctor at the Omsk Emergency Hospital told reporters without naming any of the potential diagnoses.
— Head of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation Ivan Zhdanov told journalists that police reported that a “poison” was found in Navalny’s system that is “dangerous to those around him,” but that law enforcement wouldn’t name the substance.
— The plane flying from Germany to Russia to pick up Navalny will arrive in an hour but doctors aren’t allowing him to be transported because his condition is unstable, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh tweeted early Friday morning, calling the refusal an “attempt on his life."


themoscowtimes--2020-08-22--‘Poisoned’ Kremlin Critic Navalny Arrives in Germany for Treatment

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny arrived in a stable condition for medical treatment in Germany Saturday after appeals by his team that included his wife writing directly to President Vladimir Putin .
Navalny , 44 , fell violently ill and lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday .
After his plane made an emergency landing he was transported to Omsk Emergency Hospital No .
1 , where a doctor told journalists the hospital was “ working on saving his life.
” Navalny has remained in a coma and on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s close aides had pushed for the Kremlin critic to be transferred to a leading German toxicology center , citing a lack of vital equipment at the Siberian regional hospital and a worry that Russian doctors would be pressured by the authorities to withhold details of the cause of his illness .
An air ambulance left Berlin early Friday morning to collect Navalny and bring him to the Charité hospital in the city , but the Omsk hospital ’ s head doctor Alexander Murakhovsky said Navalny ’ s condition was unstable and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standoff .
But late Friday evening , around 10 pm Omsk time , deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko told journalists gathered outside his hospital that the Kremlin critic ’ s condition was now stable enough for him to fly .
“ We do not object to transfer to another hospital .
It will happen today , ” the state-run TASS news agency cited him as saying .
In a joint press conference on Thursday , German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said their countries were ready to provide Navalny with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his transfer , Navalny ’ s wife appealed directly to President Vladimir Putin in a letter .
Asking for permission that he be allowed to be transferred to Germany , she wrote that her husband “ needs qualified medical assistance.
” On Thursday , the Kremlin had wished Navalny a speedy recovery and said that if he needed to leave the country for treatment , the necessary travel requests would be considered .
Vladimir Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also urged people not to speculate about the cause of Navalny ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a video recording published Friday afternoon , Omsk head doctor Murakohovsky described one of local doctors ’ “ five working diagnoses ” on Navalny ’ s condition as “ a metabolic disorder , caused by a sharp drop in blood sugar levels during the flight.
” He added that tests would be ready in two days .
That statement , however , conflicted with his deputy Kalinichenko ’ s claim that test results had already been returned .
Kalinichenko said doctors had all but ruled out poisoning .
“ Neither poisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood and urine samples , ” the state-run TASS news agency cited Kalinichenko as saying .
“ The diagnosis of poisoning will remain at the back of our minds .
But we don ’ t believe the patient was poisoned.
” Adding to the confusion over the true state of Navalny ’ s condition was a claim by the head of Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation Ivan Zhdanov , who was also at the Omsk hospital , that police reported that a “ deadly toxin ” was found in Navalny ’ s system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , ” but that law enforcement wouldn ’ t name the substance .
Later Friday the Omsk regional police department told Interfax they had identified an industrial chemical substance in Navalny ’ s system .
They said the substance , 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate — mainly used in plastic packaging for food — could have entered his body through contact with a plastic cup .
Navalny ’ s team believes a toxic substance was added to a cup of tea he drank at an airport cafe in Tomsk .
Navalny ’ s allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from doctors point to pressure from the authorities who hope that toxins will leave his body before German toxicologists are able to examine him .
Before the Omsk hospital approved his transfer , Navalny ’ s aides had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights for support , the court said Friday .
“ Until now doctors had said that they are ready to authorize transportation .
That is why we organized it in the shortest possible time , ” Yarmysh wrote on Twitter Friday morning .
“ Now , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission .
This decision , of course , was not made by them but by the Kremlin.
” In a separate tweet Yarmysh called the move to bar Navalny from being transported an “ attempt on his life.
” Navalny was returning to the Russian capital on Thursday after touring Siberia in support of independent candidates running in local elections next month .
On Wednesday , he posted a photo on Instagram from the city of Tomsk with the caption : “ Crooks wont kick themselves out of the city parliament !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia ’ s de facto opposition leader , Navalny has faced pressure for his activism for years .
While serving a 30-day prison sentence last summer for calling on people to attend an anti-government protest , Navalny suffered an acute allergic reaction .
At least one doctor said he may have been poisoned .
In 2017 , a pro-Kremlin activist threw a chemical dye at him that left him partially blind in one eye .
That year , Navalny triggered some of the largest anti-government protests for decades after his Anti-Corruption Foundation published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Dmitry Medvedev .
On Thursday , the local Taiga.info news website reported that Navalny may have been in Tomsk to work on an investigation into local deputies representing the ruling United Russia party .