themoscowtimes--2020-09-21--Russian Recruits Show ‘No Side Effects’ in Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine Trials

Russia approved Phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics and the Chinese military ’ s research arm last month .
Russia ’ s Petrovax pharmaceutical company said it has received more than 3,000 applications to get the Ad5-nCoV vaccine so far .
Recruits in Moscow have reported no side effects after taking China ’ s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of large-scale clinical trials , the Russian pharmaceutical company working with the vaccine 's Chinese developers announced Monday .
“ At the moment , the volunteers are doing well .
None of them have shown any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press release .
The vaccinated subjects are expected to develop an antibody and cellular immune response to Covid-19 , the company added .
The study participants will be under direct supervision for nearly a month , with four interim face-to-face examinations , and will undergo a control examination after six months , Petrovax said .
The Russian company said it expects preliminary results sometime in November , according to Interfax .
Once Russia registers the Chinese vaccine , Petrovax said it will be able to produce more than 4 million doses per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per month in 2021 .
CanSino announced plans last month to launch Phase 3 trials of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia involving about 5,000 subjects .
Phases 1 and 2 involved more than 700 volunteers in China this spring .
Ad5-nCoV is one of dozens of potential Covid-19 vaccines in various stages of development around the world .
Russia registered its own candidate coronavirus vaccine , Sputnik V , last month before launching Phase 3 trials involving 40,000 volunteers to determine its long-term safety and effectiveness .

Russia approved Phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics and the Chinese military’s research arm last month. Russia’s Petrovax pharmaceutical company said it has received more than 3,000 applications to get the Ad5-nCoV vaccine so far.
Recruits in Moscow have reported no side effects after taking China’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of large-scale clinical trials, the Russian pharmaceutical company working with the vaccine's Chinese developers announced Monday.
“At the moment, the volunteers are doing well. None of them have shown any side effects,” Petrovax said in a press release.
The vaccinated subjects are expected to develop an antibody and cellular immune response to Covid-19, the company added.
The study participants will be under direct supervision for nearly a month, with four interim face-to-face examinations, and will undergo a control examination after six months, Petrovax said.
The Russian company said it expects preliminary results sometime in November, according to Interfax.
Once Russia registers the Chinese vaccine, Petrovax said it will be able to produce more than 4 million doses per month this year and 10 million doses per month in 2021.
CanSino announced plans last month to launch Phase 3 trials of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia involving about 5,000 subjects.
Phases 1 and 2 involved more than 700 volunteers in China this spring.
Ad5-nCoV is one of dozens of potential Covid-19 vaccines in various stages of development around the world.
Russia registered its own candidate coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, last month before launching Phase 3 trials involving 40,000 volunteers to determine its long-term safety and effectiveness.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-21--Russia Resumes Flights With Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea

Citizens and permanent residents of these countries will be permitted to enter Russia through air checkpoints , and Russians will be able to enter these countries without restrictions as well .
The weekly flights will connect Russia to the capital cities of Minsk , Nur-Sultan , Bishkek and Seoul .
Russia has resumed flights to neighboring Belarus , Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and will resume flights to South Korea from Sept. 27 , a government decree said Saturday .
Russia grounded most international flights and introduced entry restrictions for foreign nationals in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tanzania , Egypt , the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives have been restored .
While Russia resumed flights with Zurich and Geneva from Aug. 18 , Switzerland has not yet relaxed its entry ban for Russian nationals .
Only holders of Swiss permanent residency , students and medical tourists from Russia are allowed entry .
Most Russian nationals are still barred from entering the European Union and the same rule applies to Europeans wishing to visit Russia .
The exceptions are Greece and Poland , which allow Russians to make two-week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuated from abroad since global coronavirus restrictions were introduced and flights halted .
While many more are estimated to remain outside of the country , the authorities decided to stop all evacuation flights from Sept. 21 , according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency .
Russia has the world 's fourth-highest coronavirus caseload with more than 1.1 million infections since the start of the pandemic .

Citizens and permanent residents of these countries will be permitted to enter Russia through air checkpoints, and Russians will be able to enter these countries without restrictions as well. The weekly flights will connect Russia to the capital cities of Minsk, Nur-Sultan, Bishkek and Seoul.
Russia has resumed flights to neighboring Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and will resume flights to South Korea from Sept. 27, a government decree said Saturday.
Russia grounded most international flights and introduced entry restrictions for foreign nationals in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, connections with Britain, Turkey, Tanzania, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives have been restored.
While Russia resumed flights with Zurich and Geneva from Aug. 18, Switzerland has not yet relaxed its entry ban for Russian nationals. Only holders of Swiss permanent residency, students and medical tourists from Russia are allowed entry.
Most Russian nationals are still barred from entering the European Union and the same rule applies to Europeans wishing to visit Russia. The exceptions are Greece and Poland, which allow Russians to make two-week visits.
Over 92,000 Russians have been evacuated from abroad since global coronavirus restrictions were introduced and flights halted. While many more are estimated to remain outside of the country, the authorities decided to stop all evacuation flights from Sept. 21, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
Russia has the world's fourth-highest coronavirus caseload with more than 1.1 million infections since the start of the pandemic.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-21--Navalny Says Novichok Found 'In and On' His Body

Navalny , who is recovering in Berlin 's Charite clinic , fell violently ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow on Aug. 20 .
He spent two days in hospital in Russia before being airlifted to Germany .
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Monday that Western laboratories had found traces of a Novichok nerve agent in and on his body and demanded that Moscow return his clothes .
`` Two independent laboratories in France and Sweden and the Bundeswehr specialized laboratory confirmed the presence of Novichok in and on my body , '' he said in his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to a German military lab .
He noted that Russia had still not opened an investigation and that Russian talk shows had suggested that Western intelligence officials or his own allies carried out the attack .
`` I did not expect anything else , '' he wrote .
He also demanded that Russian authorities return his clothes that were removed before he was flown to Germany — `` totally naked '' — saying they were important evidence .
`` Taking into account that Novichok was found on my body , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my clothes are a very important piece of evidence , '' he wrote .
`` I demand my clothes be carefully packed in a plastic bag and returned to me . ''
In a poignant post on Instagram , he published a picture with his wife of 20 years , Yulia , saying he remembered little of his illness but that she had helped his recovery .
`` Now I definitely know from experience : love heals and brings you back to life , '' he said .
`` Yulia , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go down in neurobiology textbooks . ''
He said she had played him music , sang him songs , and laughed .
The opposition figure said last weekend he could walk with a `` tremble '' and that in his first days he had needed therapy to help him recover his speech .
Navalny supporters and European leaders have said that the poisoning using Novichok , a military-grade nerve agent , points to a state-sanctioned attack .
Siberian transport police , which has carried out a basic examination of Navalny 's movements , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probe and had questioned around 200 people .
The head of Navalny 's Anti-Corruption Foundation , Ivan Zhdanov , said employees would no longer collaborate with police in the Siberian city of Tomsk , accusing authorities of trying to conceal a crime .
`` We are not going to take part in this , '' he said .

Navalny, who is recovering in Berlin's Charite clinic, fell violently ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow on Aug. 20. He spent two days in hospital in Russia before being airlifted to Germany.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Monday that Western laboratories had found traces of a Novichok nerve agent in and on his body and demanded that Moscow return his clothes.
"Two independent laboratories in France and Sweden and the Bundeswehr specialized laboratory confirmed the presence of Novichok in and on my body," he said in his first blog post since emerging from a coma, referring to a German military lab.
He noted that Russia had still not opened an investigation and that Russian talk shows had suggested that Western intelligence officials or his own allies carried out the attack.
"I did not expect anything else," he wrote.
He also demanded that Russian authorities return his clothes that were removed before he was flown to Germany — "totally naked" — saying they were important evidence.
"Taking into account that Novichok was found on my body, and poisoning through physical contact is highly likely, my clothes are a very important piece of evidence," he wrote.
"I demand my clothes be carefully packed in a plastic bag and returned to me."
'Love heals'
In a poignant post on Instagram, he published a picture with his wife of 20 years, Yulia, saying he remembered little of his illness but that she had helped his recovery.
"Now I definitely know from experience: love heals and brings you back to life," he said.
"Yulia, you have saved me, and let it go down in neurobiology textbooks."
He said she had played him music, sang him songs, and laughed.
The opposition figure said last weekend he could walk with a "tremble" and that in his first days he had needed therapy to help him recover his speech.
Navalny supporters and European leaders have said that the poisoning using Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, points to a state-sanctioned attack.
Siberian transport police, which has carried out a basic examination of Navalny's movements, said Monday it was continuing a pre-investigation probe and had questioned around 200 people.
The head of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, said employees would no longer collaborate with police in the Siberian city of Tomsk, accusing authorities of trying to conceal a crime.
"We are not going to take part in this," he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-21--Russian Lawmakers Ensnared in Argentine Cocaine Scandal – Report

Four suspects are facing a closed trial in Russia after a yearlong investigation into the discovery of 350 kilograms of cocaine worth around $ 50 million at the school grounds of the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires .
Two other suspects are being held in Argentina .
Russian lawmakers may have been the ultimate recipients of some of the nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine that were seized from the Russian Embassy in Argentina in 2018 , an investigative report said Sunday .
Russia ’ s Dossier Center group said it obtained Russian and Argentinian investigative documents , including 10,000 pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wiretaps as well as witness and suspect interrogation transcripts .
According to Dossier , former Russian army officer Mikhail Kazantsev told investigators that his acquaintance and key suspect in the cocaine-smuggling operation , Andrei Kovalchuk , had confirmed the contents of the seized cargo in a private phone call after the arrest of his alleged accomplices .
“ According to Kovalchuk , part of the cocaine was intended for Russia ’ s State Duma deputies and members of Russia ’ s Federation Council , ” Kazantsev said , referring to the two chambers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not identify any Russian lawmakers by name .
Dossier accused investigators of failing to follow up on leads to find both the ultimate beneficiaries of the cargo and the source of funding to buy the cocaine in the first place .
Mikhail Khodorkovsky , the exiled former oil tycoon who funds the Dossier Center , called into question the arrests of low-level diplomats while three high-ranking consular officials with Russia ’ s Foreign Ministry who had allegedly facilitated Kovalchuk ’ s contraband business roamed free .
“ Is this a mockery or was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video accompanying the investigation .
The Daily Beast , which collaborated with the Dossier Center on the investigation , said the obtained documents point to a “ coverup designed to protect [ the implicated ] government officials and possibly other unnamed co-conspirators higher up in the food chain in Russia.
” “ Some members of the Russian Embassy in Argentina ... were aware of drug-related activities and were associated with the drug mafia , ” an unnamed U.S. drug enforcement agent told The Daily Beast .
The agent added that , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided it was safer to ‘ find ’ the drugs .
The scandal was resolved at a diplomatic level and no real investigation was conducted by Argentina.
” The Moscow City Court was due to extend the four suspects ’ pre-trial detention Monday , the Open Media news website reported .

Four suspects are facing a closed trial in Russia after a yearlong investigation into the discovery of 350 kilograms of cocaine worth around $50 million at the school grounds of the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires. Two other suspects are being held in Argentina.
Russian lawmakers may have been the ultimate recipients of some of the nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine that were seized from the Russian Embassy in Argentina in 2018, an investigative report said Sunday.
Russia’s Dossier Center group said it obtained Russian and Argentinian investigative documents, including 10,000 pages of case files and 402 hours of wiretaps as well as witness and suspect interrogation transcripts.
According to Dossier, former Russian army officer Mikhail Kazantsev told investigators that his acquaintance and key suspect in the cocaine-smuggling operation, Andrei Kovalchuk, had confirmed the contents of the seized cargo in a private phone call after the arrest of his alleged accomplices.
“According to Kovalchuk, part of the cocaine was intended for Russia’s State Duma deputies and members of Russia’s Federation Council,” Kazantsev said, referring to the two chambers of Russian parliament.
His testimony did not identify any Russian lawmakers by name.
Dossier accused investigators of failing to follow up on leads to find both the ultimate beneficiaries of the cargo and the source of funding to buy the cocaine in the first place.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the exiled former oil tycoon who funds the Dossier Center, called into question the arrests of low-level diplomats while three high-ranking consular officials with Russia’s Foreign Ministry who had allegedly facilitated Kovalchuk’s contraband business roamed free.
“Is this a mockery or was it intended?” Khodorkovsky asked in a video accompanying the investigation.
The Daily Beast, which collaborated with the Dossier Center on the investigation, said the obtained documents point to a “coverup designed to protect [the implicated] government officials and possibly other unnamed co-conspirators higher up in the food chain in Russia.”
“Some members of the Russian Embassy in Argentina... were aware of drug-related activities and were associated with the drug mafia,” an unnamed U.S. drug enforcement agent told The Daily Beast. The agent added that, after a leak, “the Russian side decided it was safer to ‘find’ the drugs. The scandal was resolved at a diplomatic level and no real investigation was conducted by Argentina.”
The Moscow City Court was due to extend the four suspects’ pre-trial detention Monday, the Open Media news website reported.