themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--French, Swedish Labs Confirm Navalny's Novichok Poisoning, Germany Says

Germany said earlier this month it had “ unquestionable proof ” that Navalny , 44 , was poisoned with Novichok when he fell ill after boarding a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20 .
Navalny was flown to Berlin in a coma after two days of treatment in the Siberian city of Omsk , where doctors say they have seen no traces of poison .
Three labs have independently confirmed that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent , Germany said Monday , renewing calls for Russia to explain the incident .
The German government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent analysis of Navalny ’ s samples from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) as well as specialized laboratories in France and Sweden .
“ Independent of the ongoing OPCW investigations , three laboratories have now independently demonstrated the presence of a nerve agent from the Novichok group as the cause of Mr. Navalny ’ s poisoning , ” it said .
“ We renew the call for Russia to explain itself , ” the German government added .
Moscow has rejected suggestions that it was responsible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to launch a criminal investigation into the incident .
The Russian government has complained that Germany has been ignoring its request to see the evidence that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok .

Germany said earlier this month it had “unquestionable proof” that Navalny, 44, was poisoned with Novichok when he fell ill after boarding a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20. Navalny was flown to Berlin in a coma after two days of treatment in the Siberian city of Omsk, where doctors say they have seen no traces of poison.
Three labs have independently confirmed that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent, Germany said Monday, renewing calls for Russia to explain the incident.
The German government said in a statement that it sought independent analysis of Navalny’s samples from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as well as specialized laboratories in France and Sweden.
“Independent of the ongoing OPCW investigations, three laboratories have now independently demonstrated the presence of a nerve agent from the Novichok group as the cause of Mr. Navalny’s poisoning,” it said.
“We renew the call for Russia to explain itself,” the German government added.
Moscow has rejected suggestions that it was responsible for Navalny’s poisoning and dismissed calls to launch a criminal investigation into the incident. The Russian government has complained that Germany has been ignoring its request to see the evidence that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Putin Backs Lukashenko's ‘Eventual Succession’ in Belarus – Bloomberg

Moscow doesn ’ t trust embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko but is “ determined ” not to see protesters topple his rule , Bloomberg cited five unnamed sources close to the Kremlin as saying .
Russian President Vladimir Putin will encourage steps toward an “ eventual succession ” in Belarus but will not accept the opposition coming to power through street protests , Bloomberg reported Sunday .
More than 100,000 Belarusians have taken to the streets every weekend since Belarus ’ Aug. 9 vote where the strongman leader claimed a landslide victory .
Thousands of demonstrators have been detained and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' crackdown .
Bloomberg reported that Russian leadership was “ taken aback ” by the scale of the unrest in Belarus .
Lukashenko has vowed to keep his grip on power but allowed for constitutional reforms that would lead to early presidential elections before the next scheduled vote in 2025 .
Lukashenko on Monday is traveling to Russia for his first face-to-face meeting with Putin since the protests against his disputed election victory first broke out .
Putin and Lukashenko are expected to discuss plans to further integrate their countries as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing ceremonies or press conferences are expected at the Sochi summit .
Russia is also sending several hundred of its paratroopers to Belarus for joint “ Slavic Brotherhood ” drills starting Monday .
Putin announced last month that a Russian “ law enforcement reserve ” was ready for deployment in Belarus in the event of unrest .

Moscow doesn’t trust embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko but is “determined” not to see protesters topple his rule, Bloomberg cited five unnamed sources close to the Kremlin as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will encourage steps toward an “eventual succession” in Belarus but will not accept the opposition coming to power through street protests, Bloomberg reported Sunday.
More than 100,000 Belarusians have taken to the streets every weekend since Belarus’ Aug. 9 vote where the strongman leader claimed a landslide victory. Thousands of demonstrators have been detained and several people have died in the authorities' crackdown.
Bloomberg reported that Russian leadership was “taken aback” by the scale of the unrest in Belarus.
Lukashenko has vowed to keep his grip on power but allowed for constitutional reforms that would lead to early presidential elections before the next scheduled vote in 2025.
Lukashenko on Monday is traveling to Russia for his first face-to-face meeting with Putin since the protests against his disputed election victory first broke out.
Putin and Lukashenko are expected to discuss plans to further integrate their countries as well as key trade and energy projects. No signing ceremonies or press conferences are expected at the Sochi summit.
Russia is also sending several hundred of its paratroopers to Belarus for joint “Slavic Brotherhood” drills starting Monday.
Putin announced last month that a Russian “law enforcement reserve” was ready for deployment in Belarus in the event of unrest.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

Allies of poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Sunday they had secured city council seats in the Siberian cities of Novosibirsk and Tomsk as independent monitors condemned a reported `` stream '' of voting irregularities in regional polls .
United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev meanwhile praised the party 's electoral successes , saying that according to exit polls it was heading for victory in regional legislatures .
Riot police harshly detained more than 400 demonstrators in Belarus on Sunday as 100,000 people took to the streets on the eve of crunch talks between strongman Alexander Lukashenko and his main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thousands more protesters took to the streets in other cities including Gomel , Grodno and Brest , where police used water cannons against demonstrators .
Russia ’ s Defense Ministry has proposed removing chemical warfare agents from a list of products that are banned from being sold to the public .
The ministry said that because Russia has destroyed all of its chemical weapon stockpiles , it “ makes no sense ” to keep them on the prohibition list .
The military ’ s proposal comes less than a month after the poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what German authorities say is the military-grade nerve agent Novichok .
Scientists have discovered what they say is the first ever Ice Age-era cave bear carcass to have its soft tissues and internal organs intact in the New Siberian Islands archipelago 4,500 kilometers northeast of Moscow .
Permafrost melt in Siberia has led to the discoveries of mammoths , woolly rhinos , Ice Age foals , puppies and cave lion cubs in recent years .
A court in the western Siberian city of Surgut fined a local man 30,000 rubles ( $ 400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by sharing images of a religious icon of the Flying Spaghetti Monster on social media .
Nikolai Sokurov said he had reposted dozens of religiously themed images on the VKontakte social network several years ago but noted that authorities launched the administrative case against him in June 2020 .

Three-day vote Allies of poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Sunday they had secured city council seats in the Siberian cities of Novosibirsk and Tomsk as independent monitors condemned a reported "stream" of voting irregularities in regional polls. United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev meanwhile praised the party's electoral successes, saying that according to exit polls it was heading for victory in regional legislatures. 'March of Heroes' Riot police harshly detained more than 400 demonstrators in Belarus on Sunday as 100,000 people took to the streets on the eve of crunch talks between strongman Alexander Lukashenko and his main ally, Russia's Vladimir Putin.
Natalia Fedosenko / TASS
Thousands more protesters took to the streets in other cities including Gomel, Grodno and Brest, where police used water cannons against demonstrators. Free-for-all Russia’s Defense Ministry has proposed removing chemical warfare agents from a list of products that are banned from being sold to the public. The ministry said that because Russia has destroyed all of its chemical weapon stockpiles, it “makes no sense” to keep them on the prohibition list. The military’s proposal comes less than a month after the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with what German authorities say is the military-grade nerve agent Novichok. Cave bear Scientists have discovered what they say is the first ever Ice Age-era cave bear carcass to have its soft tissues and internal organs intact in the New Siberian Islands archipelago 4,500 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
North-Eastern Federal University


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Navalny's Allies Claim Symbolic Council Seat Wins in Regional Polls

In several dozen of the country 's 85 regions , Russians voted for regional governors and lawmakers in regional and city legislatures as well as in several by-elections for national MPs .
Allies of poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Sunday they had secured city council seats in Siberia as independent monitors condemned a reported `` stream '' of voting irregularities in regional polls .
The polls came a year ahead of parliamentary elections and are seen as a test for the Kremlin , as the ruling party faces sinking popularity and simmering public anger over economic woes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin 's electoral machine , Navalny and his team have urged Russians to vote tactically by backing the strongest candidates against the ruling party United Russia .
Some of the highest-profile campaigns have taken place in Novosibirsk , Russia 's third-largest city , and neighboring Tomsk where Navalny travelled last month .
On Sunday night , his team said that the heads of Navalny 's offices for Novosibirsk and Tomsk both secured city council seats .
Navalny had been in Siberia to promote his `` Smart Voting '' campaign when he was poisoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nerve agent .
Ksenia Fadeyeva , the 28-year-old head of Navalny 's Tomsk office , said she won a city council seat along with another Navalny ally .
`` This is the first victory of a Navalny office head , '' Ivan Zhdanov , director of the opposition politician 's Anti-Corruption Foundation , said on Twitter .
`` It was in Tomsk where Navalny was poisoned . ''
In Novosibirsk , the 37-year-old head of Navalny 's local office , Sergei Boiko , also won a council seat .
To counter United Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created an opposition alliance , which has put forward around 30 candidates for the city legislature .
Voter Damir Adgamov , a 26-year-old dental technician , said he backed Boiko 's coalition after watching Navalny 's videos on YouTube .
`` I decided to try , '' he said .
`` I do n't know if things will be better with Navalny or Boiko or worse , but at least we 'll see . ''
Vladimir Semyonov , a 57-year-old retired army officer , said he had also voted for an opposition candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do n't have stagnation . ''
Boiko said his supporters had recorded dozens of violations , including an attempt to illegally remove observers while a safe containing early votes at one polling station had its seals broken .
United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev praised the party 's electoral successes , saying that according to exit polls it was heading for victory in regional legislatures .
According to initial results , a second-round runoff was not expected in any of 18 regions that elected governors .
Officials are expected to announce the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large turnouts in two days of early voting , with more than 50 percent of the electorate casting ballots early in the far eastern Jewish Autonomous Region and in Tatarstan .
The independent election monitor group Golos said it had received a `` stream of reports '' that observers had been denied their legal rights to view documents and submit complaints , with conflicts sometimes ending in `` fisticuffs . ''
It had also received reports of ballot stuffing and officials switching ballot papers cast by real voters for ones they had filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time , elections in the country were held over three days and some polling stations for early voting were open-air .
Navalny 's ally Leonid Volkov said the scheme was thought up to combat the tactical voting system .
`` At night , God alone knows what happens to the ballots and it 's not clear how to monitor and count this , '' he said .
Electoral chief Ella Pamfilova denounced such `` unobjective and mean '' accusations .
`` Currently we do not see that many violations , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first used this summer for a national vote on constitutional amendments that made it possible for Putin to stay in power until 2036 .
Political analysts say the results of the polls will help the Kremlin determine whether the unpopular ruling party needs to be reformed .
The poisoning of Navalny could have also influenced voters .
After he was evacuated from Siberia to Berlin , German doctors said Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent .
His associates believe the use of the banned chemical weapon shows that only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now out of a medically induced coma and reacting to speech , the Berlin hospital treating him said on Monday .

In several dozen of the country's 85 regions, Russians voted for regional governors and lawmakers in regional and city legislatures as well as in several by-elections for national MPs.
Allies of poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Sunday they had secured city council seats in Siberia as independent monitors condemned a reported "stream" of voting irregularities in regional polls.
The polls came a year ahead of parliamentary elections and are seen as a test for the Kremlin, as the ruling party faces sinking popularity and simmering public anger over economic woes.
In an effort to fight President Vladimir Putin's electoral machine, Navalny and his team have urged Russians to vote tactically by backing the strongest candidates against the ruling party United Russia.
Some of the highest-profile campaigns have taken place in Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, and neighboring Tomsk where Navalny travelled last month.
On Sunday night, his team said that the heads of Navalny's offices for Novosibirsk and Tomsk both secured city council seats.
Navalny had been in Siberia to promote his "Smart Voting" campaign when he was poisoned with what Germany says was a Novichok nerve agent.
'First victory'
Ksenia Fadeyeva, the 28-year-old head of Navalny's Tomsk office, said she won a city council seat along with another Navalny ally.
"This is the first victory of a Navalny office head," Ivan Zhdanov, director of the opposition politician's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on Twitter.
"It was in Tomsk where Navalny was poisoned."
In Novosibirsk, the 37-year-old head of Navalny's local office, Sergei Boiko, also won a council seat.
To counter United Russia and the Communist Party, Boiko has created an opposition alliance, which has put forward around 30 candidates for the city legislature.
Voter Damir Adgamov, a 26-year-old dental technician, said he backed Boiko's coalition after watching Navalny's videos on YouTube.
"I decided to try," he said. "I don't know if things will be better with Navalny or Boiko or worse, but at least we'll see."
Vladimir Semyonov, a 57-year-old retired army officer, said he had also voted for an opposition candidate, "to change something, so we don't have stagnation."
Boiko said his supporters had recorded dozens of violations, including an attempt to illegally remove observers while a safe containing early votes at one polling station had its seals broken.
Ballot stuffing
United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev praised the party's electoral successes, saying that according to exit polls it was heading for victory in regional legislatures.
According to initial results, a second-round runoff was not expected in any of 18 regions that elected governors.
Officials are expected to announce the first results on Monday.
Several regions recorded large turnouts in two days of early voting, with more than 50 percent of the electorate casting ballots early in the far eastern Jewish Autonomous Region and in Tatarstan.
The independent election monitor group Golos said it had received a "stream of reports" that observers had been denied their legal rights to view documents and submit complaints, with conflicts sometimes ending in "fisticuffs."
It had also received reports of ballot stuffing and officials switching ballot papers cast by real voters for ones they had filled in, the group added.
For the first time, elections in the country were held over three days and some polling stations for early voting were open-air.
Navalny's ally Leonid Volkov said the scheme was thought up to combat the tactical voting system.
"At night, God alone knows what happens to the ballots and it's not clear how to monitor and count this," he said.
Electoral chief Ella Pamfilova denounced such "unobjective and mean" accusations.
"Currently we do not see that many violations," she said.
The three-day system was first used this summer for a national vote on constitutional amendments that made it possible for Putin to stay in power until 2036.
Political analysts say the results of the polls will help the Kremlin determine whether the unpopular ruling party needs to be reformed. The poisoning of Navalny could have also influenced voters.
After he was evacuated from Siberia to Berlin, German doctors said Navalny had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.
His associates believe the use of the banned chemical weapon shows that only the Russian state could be responsible.
Navalny is now out of a medically induced coma and reacting to speech, the Berlin hospital treating him said on Monday.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Russia to Field 3 New Parties in 2021 State Duma Race

While the For Truth , New People and Green Alternative parties have varying ideological platforms , some analysts have linked their appearance to a Kremlin strategy to divide opposition support amid record low popularity for the ruling , pro-Kremlin United Russia party .
Three newly registered political parties will be able to take part in Russia ’ s State Duma elections next year without collecting the required voter signatures , Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova said Monday .
According to preliminary results from Russia ’ s Sept. 13 regional parliamentary races , candidates from these three parties could secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the count holds , electoral law will permit the parties to join the 2021 campaign alongside 13 other greenlit parties , including the ruling United Russia and the Communist Party , which currently forms the only opposition faction in the Duma .
For Truth , founded by nationalist author and Donbass war veteran Zakhar Prilepin , calls for Russia ’ s annexation of eastern Ukrainian territories as well as the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia .
Prilepin ’ s party has a number of Russian celebrities among its members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yulia Checherina , as well as Hollywood actor Steven Seagal .
The New People party was founded by Alexei Nechaev , owner of one of the country ’ s leading cosmetics manufacturers .
Unlike Prilepin ’ s party , New People lacks a defined ideological base and tailors its platform to appeal to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the regions , known to more actively support genuine opposition .
Both Prilepin and Nechaev are members of the All Russia People ’ s Front ( ONF ) , the political coalition created by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Alternative party runs an environmentally focused agenda and while its informal leader painter Vasya Lozhkin is its most famous face , its popularity is growing amid a rise in ecological protests across the country .
On Sunday , Lozhkin ’ s party was able to secure seats in the republic of Komi , which saw anti-landfill protests earlier this year , as well as in the Chelyabinsk region , often ranked among the regions with the worst ecological problems in the country .
While Kremlin-backed candidates were able to secure the majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional elections , the electorate ’ s rejection of United Russia in some regions forced some to abandon the party name and run as self-nominated candidates .

While the For Truth, New People and Green Alternative parties have varying ideological platforms, some analysts have linked their appearance to a Kremlin strategy to divide opposition support amid record low popularity for the ruling, pro-Kremlin United Russia party.
Three newly registered political parties will be able to take part in Russia’s State Duma elections next year without collecting the required voter signatures, Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova said Monday.
According to preliminary results from Russia’s Sept. 13 regional parliamentary races, candidates from these three parties could secure over 5% of votes. If the count holds, electoral law will permit the parties to join the 2021 campaign alongside 13 other greenlit parties, including the ruling United Russia and the Communist Party, which currently forms the only opposition faction in the Duma.
For Truth, founded by nationalist author and Donbass war veteran Zakhar Prilepin, calls for Russia’s annexation of eastern Ukrainian territories as well as the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Prilepin’s party has a number of Russian celebrities among its members, including actor Ivan Okhlabystin and rock musician Yulia Checherina, as well as Hollywood actor Steven Seagal.
The New People party was founded by Alexei Nechaev, owner of one of the country’s leading cosmetics manufacturers. Unlike Prilepin’s party, New People lacks a defined ideological base and tailors its platform to appeal to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the regions, known to more actively support genuine opposition.
Both Prilepin and Nechaev are members of the All Russia People’s Front (ONF), the political coalition created by President Vladimir Putin in 2011.
The Green Alternative party runs an environmentally focused agenda and while its informal leader painter Vasya Lozhkin is its most famous face, its popularity is growing amid a rise in ecological protests across the country.
On Sunday, Lozhkin’s party was able to secure seats in the republic of Komi, which saw anti-landfill protests earlier this year, as well as in the Chelyabinsk region, often ranked among the regions with the worst ecological problems in the country.
While Kremlin-backed candidates were able to secure the majority of key positions during Sunday’s regional elections, the electorate’s rejection of United Russia in some regions forced some to abandon the party name and run as self-nominated candidates.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Russia Considers Stripping Coronavirus Bonuses From Medics Who Refuse Vaccine – Reports

Russian health officials have proposed depriving medics of promised coronavirus payouts if they refuse to vaccinate against the infection , the Medvestnik medical news website has reported .
President Vladimir Putin this spring promised monthly bonuses ranging from $ 300 to $ 1,000 for doctors and other medical professionals treating Covid-19 patients .
Russian doctors have since reported being underpaid or not receiving the bonuses at all , prompting the federal government to intervene and force regional authorities to distribute the money .
The Health Ministry ’ s research institute for healthcare organization and informatization said in an analytical paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to set conditions ” for the bonuses , Medvestnik reported Monday .
“ We believe that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 should be set as a condition for medical workers receiving certain social support measures , ” the proposal reportedly states .
Exceptions would be made for medical professionals who can not get the vaccine because it could cause them harm or for other objective reasons , it adds .
A survey of more than 3,000 Russian healthcare professionals last month said that more than half of them would not take the highly touted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Russia was the first country to register its vaccine against Covid-19 , though final trials of its long-term safety and effectiveness got underway only last week .
Medvestnik said that the analytical paper containing the proposal was deleted from the research institute ’ s website after Medvestnik published its report .
Health Ministry aide Alexei Kuznetsov told the RBC news website that the ministry was analyzing all expert proposals and stressed the importance of vaccinating medics , who are at greater risk of getting infected .
Kuznetsov noted that the ministry adheres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however .
The institute ’ s head Olga Kobyakova echoed Kuznetsov ’ s point that the vaccination should be voluntary .
Russia has confirmed more than 1 million coronavirus cases and more than 18,500 deaths since recording its first infection in March .

Russian health officials have proposed depriving medics of promised coronavirus payouts if they refuse to vaccinate against the infection, the Medvestnik medical news website has reported. President Vladimir Putin this spring promised monthly bonuses ranging from $300 to $1,000 for doctors and other medical professionals treating Covid-19 patients. Russian doctors have since reported being underpaid or not receiving the bonuses at all, prompting the federal government to intervene and force regional authorities to distribute the money.
The Health Ministry’s research institute for healthcare organization and informatization said in an analytical paper that “the state has the right to set conditions” for the bonuses, Medvestnik reported Monday. “We believe that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 should be set as a condition for medical workers receiving certain social support measures,” the proposal reportedly states. Exceptions would be made for medical professionals who cannot get the vaccine because it could cause them harm or for other objective reasons, it adds. A survey of more than 3,000 Russian healthcare professionals last month said that more than half of them would not take the highly touted vaccine. Putin announced around that time that Russia was the first country to register its vaccine against Covid-19, though final trials of its long-term safety and effectiveness got underway only last week.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Navalny Taken Off Ventilator as Novichok Recovery Continues – German Hospital

Last week , Charité announced that Navalny had been taken out of his medically induced coma , was being gradually taken off ventilation and was responding to speech .
Alexei Navalny has been removed from his ventilator and is able to get out of bed , Berlin 's Charité hospital said Monday as the prominent Kremlin critic ’ s condition continues to improve after what Germany said was a poisoning by the Novichok nerve agent .
“ The patient has been successfully removed from mechanical ventilation .
He is currently undergoing mobilization and is able to leave his bed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the latest statement .
For the first time since admitting him on Aug. 22 , Charité said it published its latest statement following consultations “ with the patient and his wife , ” instead of solely with his wife Yulia Navalnaya .
Navalny , Russia ’ s de facto opposition leader , was flown to Berlin after falling ill on a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20 and spending two days in tretment there .
Germany says that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok family .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Swedish labs have independently confirmed Germany ’ s findings , while French President Emmanuel Macron told President Vladimir Putin by phone that France ’ s own analysis confirmed Germany ’ s conclusions .
Russian doctors maintain that their tests have not shown any traces of the nerve agent in Navalny ’ s system .
Navalny ’ s associates have unsuccessfully lobbied Russian authorities to open a criminal investigation into his attempted murder .
Germany has said it expects Russia to answer questions over Navalny ’ s poisoning , while Moscow rejects suggestions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident .
Russia has also complained that Germany was ignoring its request to see the evidence that Navalny , 44 , was poisoned with Novichok .

Last week, Charité announced that Navalny had been taken out of his medically induced coma, was being gradually taken off ventilation and was responding to speech.
Alexei Navalny has been removed from his ventilator and is able to get out of bed, Berlin's Charité hospital said Monday as the prominent Kremlin critic’s condition continues to improve after what Germany said was a poisoning by the Novichok nerve agent.
“The patient has been successfully removed from mechanical ventilation. He is currently undergoing mobilization and is able to leave his bed for short periods of time,” it said in the latest statement.
For the first time since admitting him on Aug. 22, Charité said it published its latest statement following consultations “with the patient and his wife,” instead of solely with his wife Yulia Navalnaya.
Navalny, Russia’s de facto opposition leader, was flown to Berlin after falling ill on a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20 and spending two days in tretment there.
Germany says that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok family. On Monday, its government said that French and Swedish labs have independently confirmed Germany’s findings, while French President Emmanuel Macron told President Vladimir Putin by phone that France’s own analysis confirmed Germany’s conclusions.
Russian doctors maintain that their tests have not shown any traces of the nerve agent in Navalny’s system.
Navalny’s associates have unsuccessfully lobbied Russian authorities to open a criminal investigation into his attempted murder.
Germany has said it expects Russia to answer questions over Navalny’s poisoning, while Moscow rejects suggestions that the state played a role in the incident. Russia has also complained that Germany was ignoring its request to see the evidence that Navalny, 44, was poisoned with Novichok.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-14--Putin Backs Lukashenko as Belarus Leader Vows Closer Ties

Lukashenko thanked Putin and vowed to stick closer to `` elder brother '' Moscow during one-to-one talks at the Russian president 's residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that lasted around four hours .
President Vladimir Putin on Monday backed embattled Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko and promised a $ 1.5 billion loan as the Belarusian strongman vowed to strengthen ties with Moscow .
The Belarusian leader was making his first foreign trip since his disputed win in Aug. 9 presidential polls prompted mass protests against his rule , the latest drawing tens of thousands on Sunday in Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political future , praising the Belarusian 's sketched-out plans for constitutional changes to appease the opposition .
The Russian president said during joint televised comments he was `` sure that considering your experience '' this would `` allow the development of the country 's political system to reach new heights . ''
Putin also offered economic support , saying Russia would extend Belarus a government loan of $ 1.5 billion .
He said that Belarusians should deal with the political crisis `` themselves , calmly and in dialogue with each other , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As they spoke , Lukashenko leaned towards Putin in his chair , while the Russian leader sat with his legs placed wide apart , sometimes drumming his fingers and tapping his feet .
The talks lasted almost four hours , the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said , calling them `` constructive . ''
He said Lukashenko confirmed to Putin `` his intention to make changes to the constitution , '' while declining to give details .
Lukashenko first raised this several years ago but has made few concrete proposals .
Since the mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms as a response to calls for social change , although this falls far short of the opposition 's demands .
Putin said last month that Russia had created a reserve group of law enforcement officers to help ensure security in Belarus and he reiterated Monday that Russia was `` committed to all its obligations '' under a military alliance of former Soviet countries .
Lukashenko thanked Putin for behaving `` very decently '' and said of Belarus that `` we need to stick closer to our elder brother and cooperate on all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis on outside players , Lukashenko criticized military drills in NATO countries near Belarus 's borders , saying that Russia and Belarus would prepare their armies to resist any threats .
The Belarusian leader visited Russia a day after the latest demonstration against his rule saw police detain more than 500 protesters in Minsk .
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , who claims she was the true winner in polls , condemned Putin for negotiating with `` illegitimate Lukashenko . ''
`` I really regret you decided to hold dialogue with a usurper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Tikhanovskaya , who has taken shelter in Lithuania , said in a statement .
She later said Lukashenko should be personally liable for Moscow 's $ 1.5 billion loan and warned Russians that their taxes `` will be used to pay for beating us up . ''
Lukashenko on Monday described the protests in Belarus as `` a very serious lesson , '' that he said he hoped had been `` overcome . ''
While his harsh crackdown on demonstrators has prompted international condemnation and sanctions , Russia has remained a firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections and the leaders have exchanged frequent calls in recent weeks .
As the position of the Belarusian strongman — in power for 26 years — has weakened , Russia has called for closer integration , although the leaders did not elaborate on this on Monday .
Putin has long urged full unification with Belarus , while Lukashenko has so far ruled this out .
Russia dwarfs Belarus , which has a population of around 9.5 million , and provides it with cheap fuel .
Belarus is strategically important to Russia as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by EU and NATO members .
The two countries have already formed a close relationship as a `` union state '' with strong military and economic links .
While opposition protests have focused on domestic issues , protesters called on Lukashenko not to `` sell the country '' at the mass rally on Sunday .
Police detained nearly 7,000 people during protests in the days after the election and three demonstrators died , with those imprisoned saying they were beaten and tortured .
The United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Monday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated , with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice . ''

Lukashenko thanked Putin and vowed to stick closer to "elder brother" Moscow during one-to-one talks at the Russian president's residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that lasted around four hours.
President Vladimir Putin on Monday backed embattled Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko and promised a $1.5 billion loan as the Belarusian strongman vowed to strengthen ties with Moscow.
The Belarusian leader was making his first foreign trip since his disputed win in Aug. 9 presidential polls prompted mass protests against his rule, the latest drawing tens of thousands on Sunday in Minsk.
Putin appeared to endorse Lukashenko's political future, praising the Belarusian's sketched-out plans for constitutional changes to appease the opposition.
The Russian president said during joint televised comments he was "sure that considering your experience" this would "allow the development of the country's political system to reach new heights."
Putin also offered economic support, saying Russia would extend Belarus a government loan of $1.5 billion.
He said that Belarusians should deal with the political crisis "themselves, calmly and in dialogue with each other, without hints and pressure from outside."
As they spoke, Lukashenko leaned towards Putin in his chair, while the Russian leader sat with his legs placed wide apart, sometimes drumming his fingers and tapping his feet.
'Elder brother'
The talks lasted almost four hours, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, calling them "constructive."
He said Lukashenko confirmed to Putin "his intention to make changes to the constitution," while declining to give details.
Lukashenko first raised this several years ago but has made few concrete proposals.
Since the mass protests began, he has suggested constitutional reforms as a response to calls for social change, although this falls far short of the opposition's demands.
Putin said last month that Russia had created a reserve group of law enforcement officers to help ensure security in Belarus and he reiterated Monday that Russia was "committed to all its obligations" under a military alliance of former Soviet countries.
Lukashenko thanked Putin for behaving "very decently" and said of Belarus that "we need to stick closer to our elder brother and cooperate on all issues."
After consistently blaming the crisis on outside players, Lukashenko criticized military drills in NATO countries near Belarus's borders, saying that Russia and Belarus would prepare their armies to resist any threats.
The Belarusian leader visited Russia a day after the latest demonstration against his rule saw police detain more than 500 protesters in Minsk.
'A very serious lesson'
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claims she was the true winner in polls, condemned Putin for negotiating with "illegitimate Lukashenko."
"I really regret you decided to hold dialogue with a usurper and not with the Belarusian people," Tikhanovskaya, who has taken shelter in Lithuania, said in a statement.
She later said Lukashenko should be personally liable for Moscow's $1.5 billion loan and warned Russians that their taxes "will be used to pay for beating us up."
Lukashenko on Monday described the protests in Belarus as "a very serious lesson," that he said he hoped had been "overcome."
While his harsh crackdown on demonstrators has prompted international condemnation and sanctions, Russia has remained a firm ally.
Putin congratulated Lukashenko after the elections and the leaders have exchanged frequent calls in recent weeks.
As the position of the Belarusian strongman — in power for 26 years — has weakened, Russia has called for closer integration, although the leaders did not elaborate on this on Monday.
'Don't sell country'
Putin has long urged full unification with Belarus, while Lukashenko has so far ruled this out.
Russia dwarfs Belarus, which has a population of around 9.5 million, and provides it with cheap fuel. Belarus is strategically important to Russia as a buffer zone, bordered to the West by EU and NATO members.
The two countries have already formed a close relationship as a "union state" with strong military and economic links.
While opposition protests have focused on domestic issues, protesters called on Lukashenko not to "sell the country" at the mass rally on Sunday.
Police detained nearly 7,000 people during protests in the days after the election and three demonstrators died, with those imprisoned saying they were beaten and tortured.
The United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Monday that these allegations "should be documented and investigated, with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice."


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--Trump Ad Supporting U.S. Troops Shows Russian Fighter Jets, Rifles

The digital “ Support Our Troops ” campaign that ran between Sept. 8-12 shows the silhouettes of three soldiers as fighter jets fly overhead .
A campaign fundraising ad for U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at rallying support for the country ’ s troops actually displays Russian-made military equipment , Politico reported Monday .
Support our Troops while Russian MiG-29 fighter jets fly over their heads !
pic.twitter.com/BfenJ7v2vJ “ That ’ s definitely a [ Russian ] MiG-29 , ” defense analyst Pierre Sprey , who assisted the U.S. Air Force with fighter aircraft design , told Politico .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s supporting our troops.
” Ruslan Pukhov , director of the Moscow Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies , confirmed to Politico that the jets are MiG-29s , adding that one of the soldiers in the photo is carrying an AK-47 assault rifle .
The ad , produced by Trump Make America Great Again Committee , uses a stock photo from Shutterstock.com , where it was uploaded by an Andorra-based user , Politico noted .
The image ’ s creator , Arthur Zakirov , later told Politico that his creation shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the soldiers were Russian models .
“ Today you hear about the Kremlin ’ s hand in U.S. politics .
Tomorrow you are this hand , ” Zakirov joked .
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee , which both operate the Trump Make America Great Again Committee , did not comment on Politico ’ s report .

The digital “Support Our Troops” campaign that ran between Sept. 8-12 shows the silhouettes of three soldiers as fighter jets fly overhead.
A campaign fundraising ad for U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at rallying support for the country’s troops actually displays Russian-made military equipment, Politico reported Monday.
Support our Troops while Russian MiG-29 fighter jets fly over their heads! pic.twitter.com/BfenJ7v2vJ
“That’s definitely a [Russian] MiG-29,” defense analyst Pierre Sprey, who assisted the U.S. Air Force with fighter aircraft design, told Politico. “I’m glad to see it’s supporting our troops.”
Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, confirmed to Politico that the jets are MiG-29s, adding that one of the soldiers in the photo is carrying an AK-47 assault rifle.
The ad, produced by Trump Make America Great Again Committee, uses a stock photo from Shutterstock.com, where it was uploaded by an Andorra-based user, Politico noted.
The image’s creator, Arthur Zakirov, later told Politico that his creation shows a 3D model of a MiG-29 and that the soldiers were Russian models.
“Today you hear about the Kremlin’s hand in U.S. politics. Tomorrow you are this hand,” Zakirov joked.
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, which both operate the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, did not comment on Politico’s report.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--Russia Has 'Questions' for Germany Over Navalny

The head of Russia 's foreign intelligence service said Tuesday opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed no signs of poisoning before he was flown to Berlin for treatment and that Moscow had `` questions '' for Germany .
The 44-year-old lawyer and outspoken Kremlin critic last month fell severely ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow after a trip to support opposition candidates in local elections .
`` It is a fact that the moment Alexei Navalny left Russian territory there were no toxins in his system , '' Russia 's Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have many questions to the German side , '' he told reporters .
Germany said there was `` unequivocal evidence '' that Russia 's most prominent opposition figure was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent but Moscow has angrily dismissed the findings , saying its doctors found no trace of poison .
Navalny 's allies say the use of the banned chemical weapon means that only the Russian state could be responsible .
Chancellor Angela Merkel 's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that labs in France and Sweden had independently confirmed findings by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin fired back in a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron , dismissing `` unsubstantiated accusations based on nothing '' .
The Berlin hospital treating Navalny said Monday he was regaining mobility and able to leave his bed .
Navalny himself addressed the public for the first time Tuesday , saying on Instagram he was able to breathe unaided .
`` Doctors from the Omsk hospital saved Navalny 's life and performed a series of the most profound tests and examinations , '' Naryshkin said .

The head of Russia's foreign intelligence service said Tuesday opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed no signs of poisoning before he was flown to Berlin for treatment and that Moscow had "questions" for Germany.
The 44-year-old lawyer and outspoken Kremlin critic last month fell severely ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow after a trip to support opposition candidates in local elections.
"It is a fact that the moment Alexei Navalny left Russian territory there were no toxins in his system," Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin said.
"Therefore, we have many questions to the German side," he told reporters.
Germany said there was "unequivocal evidence" that Russia's most prominent opposition figure was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent but Moscow has angrily dismissed the findings, saying its doctors found no trace of poison.
Navalny's allies say the use of the banned chemical weapon means that only the Russian state could be responsible.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that labs in France and Sweden had independently confirmed findings by doctors in Berlin that Navalny was poisoned.
Russian President Vladimir Putin fired back in a call with French leader Emmanuel Macron, dismissing "unsubstantiated accusations based on nothing".
The Berlin hospital treating Navalny said Monday he was regaining mobility and able to leave his bed.
Navalny himself addressed the public for the first time Tuesday, saying on Instagram he was able to breathe unaided.
"Doctors from the Omsk hospital saved Navalny's life and performed a series of the most profound tests and examinations," Naryshkin said.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--1 in 7 Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Volunteers Report Side Effects

Final clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine began in Moscow earlier this month amid questions over its long-term safety and effectiveness .
One in seven volunteers have complained of side effects including weakness and muscle pain after taking Russia ’ s highly touted coronavirus vaccine , Russia ’ s health minister said Tuesday .
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said more than 300 out of the announced 40,000 volunteers have been vaccinated so far , according to the state-run TASS news agency .
“ Approximately 14 % have small complaints of weakness , muscle pain for 24 hours and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TASS quoted Murashko as saying .
Murashko said the symptoms “ level off ” by the next day .
“ The complications are described in the instructions and are predictable , ” he said .
Volunteers are expected to receive a second shot of the adenovirus-based viral vector vaccine within 21 days of the first .
Russian government officials and party leaders have reported taking part in the trials .
Developers have in recent days begun distributing small batches of Sputnik V across Russian regions in parallel with the Phase 3 trials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ late November or early December , Murashko has said .
Russia has confirmed nearly 1.1 million cases of Covid-19 in the six months since its outbreak began , with a steady uptick in daily cases seen in recent days .
Public polling has said that nearly half of Russians do not plan to receive the coronavirus vaccine at any point .

Final clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine began in Moscow earlier this month amid questions over its long-term safety and effectiveness.
One in seven volunteers have complained of side effects including weakness and muscle pain after taking Russia’s highly touted coronavirus vaccine, Russia’s health minister said Tuesday.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said more than 300 out of the announced 40,000 volunteers have been vaccinated so far, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
“Approximately 14% have small complaints of weakness, muscle pain for 24 hours and an occasional increase in body temperature,” TASS quoted Murashko as saying.
Murashko said the symptoms “level off” by the next day.
“The complications are described in the instructions and are predictable,” he said.
Volunteers are expected to receive a second shot of the adenovirus-based viral vector vaccine within 21 days of the first.
Russian government officials and party leaders have reported taking part in the trials.
Developers have in recent days begun distributing small batches of Sputnik V across Russian regions in parallel with the Phase 3 trials. The general population could get vaccinated in late November or early December, Murashko has said.
Russia has confirmed nearly 1.1 million cases of Covid-19 in the six months since its outbreak began, with a steady uptick in daily cases seen in recent days.
Public polling has said that nearly half of Russians do not plan to receive the coronavirus vaccine at any point.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--Russia Withdraws Security ‘Reserve’ From Belarus Border

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Aug. 27 that he has formed the unit of law enforcement officers at the request of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko .
Putin said it would be deployed as soon as “ extremists start plundering ” amid sustained demonstrations against Lukashenko ’ s disputed presidential election victory Aug. 9 .
Russia has withdrawn a rapidly formed unit of “ law enforcement reserves ” that had been standing by to intervene in Belarus if the country ’ s post-election unrest got out of hand , the Kremlin said Monday .
Putin and Lukashenko agreed at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will stand down , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said following their talks Monday evening .
On Tuesday morning , Russian state television showed what it said were live images of truckloads of the units returning to their areas of deployment .
Meanwhile , Russian troops arrived in Belarus on Monday for 10-day “ Slavic Brotherhood 2020 ” drills .
Serbia , which was originally scheduled to join the drills , pulled out at the last minute .
The Belarusian defense ministry said Tuesday that it did not rule out a military response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread post-election protests , Lukashenko has ordered multiple war games , stepped up border security and deployed troops in Minsk as a show of force .

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Aug. 27 that he has formed the unit of law enforcement officers at the request of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin said it would be deployed as soon as “extremists start plundering” amid sustained demonstrations against Lukashenko’s disputed presidential election victory Aug. 9.
Russia has withdrawn a rapidly formed unit of “law enforcement reserves” that had been standing by to intervene in Belarus if the country’s post-election unrest got out of hand, the Kremlin said Monday.
Putin and Lukashenko agreed at a summit in southern Russia that the unit will stand down, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said following their talks Monday evening.
On Tuesday morning, Russian state television showed what it said were live images of truckloads of the units returning to their areas of deployment.
Meanwhile, Russian troops arrived in Belarus on Monday for 10-day “Slavic Brotherhood 2020” drills. Serbia, which was originally scheduled to join the drills, pulled out at the last minute.
The Belarusian defense ministry said Tuesday that it did not rule out a military response to outside threats.
In the wake of widespread post-election protests, Lukashenko has ordered multiple war games, stepped up border security and deployed troops in Minsk as a show of force.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--'Hi, It's Navalny': Kremlin Critic Says He Can Breathe Unaided in First Statement After Poisoning

Navalny 's Instagram post shows him sitting hunched over on a hospital bed surrounded by his wife and two children .
The Russian opposition leader has been undergoing treatment in Berlin , where German officials say there is “ unequivocal proof ” he was poisoned by a type of Novichok nerve agent .
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Tuesday that he is able to breathe on his own , his first public message since he fell into a coma after being poisoned by Novichok last month .
“ I can still hardly do anything but yesterday I was able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Navalny , 44 , wrote .
“ I didn ’ t need any outside help , not even a simple valve for my throat , ” he added .
“ I enjoyed it very much .
An amazing , underestimated feeling .
I recommend it.
” Berlin 's Charité hospital has been reporting on Navalny ’ s steadily improving condition since he was flown there from Siberia on Aug. 22 .
Two days before , he fell ill on a flight to Moscow after drinking what his associates said was poisoned tea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been removed from his ventilator and was able to get out of bed for short periods of time .

Navalny's Instagram post shows him sitting hunched over on a hospital bed surrounded by his wife and two children. The Russian opposition leader has been undergoing treatment in Berlin, where German officials say there is “unequivocal proof” he was poisoned by a type of Novichok nerve agent.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Tuesday that he is able to breathe on his own, his first public message since he fell into a coma after being poisoned by Novichok last month.
“I can still hardly do anything but yesterday I was able to breathe on my own all day,” Navalny, 44, wrote.
“I didn’t need any outside help, not even a simple valve for my throat,” he added. “I enjoyed it very much. An amazing, underestimated feeling. I recommend it.”
Berlin's Charité hospital has been reporting on Navalny’s steadily improving condition since he was flown there from Siberia on Aug. 22. Two days before, he fell ill on a flight to Moscow after drinking what his associates said was poisoned tea.
On Monday, Charité said Navalny had been removed from his ventilator and was able to get out of bed for short periods of time.