tass--2020-05-14--Hong Kong scientists confirm dogs also suffer from COVID-19

MOSCOW , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
Hong Kong medics and vets discovered SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in two dogs , whose owners had contracted the COVID-19 disease , and also extracted a `` live '' virus culture from one of the pets ’ bodies for the first time .
The results of their research have been published in the Nature journal .
`` Rhinolophid bats are considered a likely reservoir of the precursor of SARS-CoV-2 .
However , based on experiences with SARS virus , it is likely that intermediate hosts serve to bridge transmission from bats to humans .
Dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sold in or found in the vicinity of wild-game animal markets , the presumed source for the initial zoonotic spill-over of SARS-CoV-2 .
They should be tested during investigations into the origin of this virus to determine if they play any role in spillover events , '' the scientists write .
Additionally , over the past two months , researchers have registered several cases of coronavirus infection in domestic dogs , contracted , presumably , from their infected owners .
Such statements still cause a lot of arguments among scientists : many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ACE2 protein , which the virus uses to penetrate target organisms , differs significantly between humans and dogs .
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus , the reason behind the COVID-19 disease , can penetrate not only human bodies , but bodies of many other mammals , as well .
Recent experiments of biologists and observations of veterinarians indicate that rhesus macaques , ferrets and cats are affected by the infection almost as severely as humans are .
A group of biologists from the Hong Kong University , led by prof. Malik Peiris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infection can penetrate dog ’ s bodies , also discovering that the infection in dogs happens without symptoms .
They have come to this conclusion after researching blood and nasal discharge samples , harvested from 15 pets , whose owners contracted the infection in February or March .
Traces of the virus — antibodies and fragments of its RNA — were registered in two dogs .
One pet died two days after admittance to the clinic , while the second one has recovered .
The scientists managed to extract full-fledged virus particles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , decode their RNA and confirm that the `` canine '' coronavirus was quite viable .
Comparison of its genome with other coronavirus strains revealed that it was closely related to the coronavirus variations that spread across Hong Kong during the first days of the COVID-19 outbreak in China .
Interestingly , owners of the second dog also have another dog , which did not contract the disease .
This might indicate that the coronavirus transmits from one dog to another much less often than between cats or humans .
Still , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propagation in the canine bodies indicates that it is possible that dogs , not bats or pangolins , were the initial source of the infection , since dog meat could be bought at exotic meat markets in China , the researchers believe .

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Hong Kong medics and vets discovered SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in two dogs, whose owners had contracted the COVID-19 disease, and also extracted a "live" virus culture from one of the pets’ bodies for the first time. The results of their research have been published in the Nature journal.
"Rhinolophid bats are considered a likely reservoir of the precursor of SARS-CoV-2. However, based on experiences with SARS virus, it is likely that intermediate hosts serve to bridge transmission from bats to humans. Dogs, other canids, and felids can be sold in or found in the vicinity of wild-game animal markets, the presumed source for the initial zoonotic spill-over of SARS-CoV-2. They should be tested during investigations into the origin of this virus to determine if they play any role in spillover events," the scientists write.
Additionally, over the past two months, researchers have registered several cases of coronavirus infection in domestic dogs, contracted, presumably, from their infected owners. Such statements still cause a lot of arguments among scientists: many of whom point out that the structure of the ACE2 protein, which the virus uses to penetrate target organisms, differs significantly between humans and dogs.
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the reason behind the COVID-19 disease, can penetrate not only human bodies, but bodies of many other mammals, as well. Recent experiments of biologists and observations of veterinarians indicate that rhesus macaques, ferrets and cats are affected by the infection almost as severely as humans are.
A group of biologists from the Hong Kong University, led by prof. Malik Peiris, obtained the first unambiguous evidence that the coronavirus infection can penetrate dog’s bodies, also discovering that the infection in dogs happens without symptoms. They have come to this conclusion after researching blood and nasal discharge samples, harvested from 15 pets, whose owners contracted the infection in February or March.
Traces of the virus — antibodies and fragments of its RNA — were registered in two dogs. One pet died two days after admittance to the clinic, while the second one has recovered.
The scientists managed to extract full-fledged virus particles from samples harvested from the deceased dog, decode their RNA and confirm that the "canine" coronavirus was quite viable. Comparison of its genome with other coronavirus strains revealed that it was closely related to the coronavirus variations that spread across Hong Kong during the first days of the COVID-19 outbreak in China.
Interestingly, owners of the second dog also have another dog, which did not contract the disease. This might indicate that the coronavirus transmits from one dog to another much less often than between cats or humans.
Still, the very fact of the virus infection and propagation in the canine bodies indicates that it is possible that dogs, not bats or pangolins, were the initial source of the infection, since dog meat could be bought at exotic meat markets in China, the researchers believe.


tass--2020-05-14--Belarusian, Russian top diplomats discuss integration issues

MINSK , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have discussed @ @ @ @ @ and integration issues , the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ diplomats discussed topical issues of Belarusian-Russian relations and integration cooperation , as well as preparations @ @ @ @ @ two countries ’ Foreign Ministries , '' the press service said .
The telephone conversation @ @ @ @ @ the Belarusian Foreign Ministry noted .

MINSK, May 14. /TASS/. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have discussed over the phone bilateral relations and integration issues, the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday.
"The two top diplomats discussed topical issues of Belarusian-Russian relations and integration cooperation, as well as preparations for events planned by the two countries’ Foreign Ministries," the press service said.
The telephone conversation was initiated by Russia, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry noted.


tass--2020-05-14--Spitsbergen expedition adjusts plans in pandemic, scientists say

ST. PETERSBURG , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
Participants in the Russian Arctic expedition to Spitsbergen Archipelago will not be able to carry out all planned studies since seasonal groups of scientists can not reach the archipelago due to closed borders , Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute ( AARI ) of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring , Alexander Makarov said at the TASS press center on Thursday .
`` Presently , we are unable to send people to Spitsbergen , and I am not sure when it may be possible , as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders will be open , '' he said .
`` I can only pledge that we shall send our specialists as soon as we have such an opportunity .
We have to adjust plans since the seasonal work , which we have planned , can not be carried out due to the shortage of people . ''
According to the scientist , the institute uses sea transport to provide the neccessary resources to researchers , who continue working on the archipelago .
`` The situation is not that dramatic , as we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The recent shipment there set off last week . ''
Earlier , the institute wrote on its website that on March 19 a group of scientists could not leave for Spitsbergen , because in the pandemic the EU and Norway had closed borders for foreigners .
At the same time , the expedition ’ s leader Yuri Ugrumov told TASS that the expedition would carry out all planned studies despite the closed borders .
Presently , he said , Spitsbergen ’ s residents and members of the expedition have not reported cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of Russian scientists will leave for the archipelago as soon as the borders are reopened .
To date , 17 scientists continue working on the archipelago under the expedition .
Most of them are year-round staff , conducting observations in Barentsburg settlement .

ST. PETERSBURG, May 14. /TASS/. Participants in the Russian Arctic expedition to Spitsbergen Archipelago will not be able to carry out all planned studies since seasonal groups of scientists cannot reach the archipelago due to closed borders, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Alexander Makarov said at the TASS press center on Thursday.
"Presently, we are unable to send people to Spitsbergen, and I am not sure when it may be possible, as we do not have any information about when borders will be open," he said. "I can only pledge that we shall send our specialists as soon as we have such an opportunity. We have to adjust plans since the seasonal work, which we have planned, cannot be carried out due to the shortage of people."
According to the scientist, the institute uses sea transport to provide the neccessary resources to researchers, who continue working on the archipelago. "The situation is not that dramatic, as we are able to send cargo for the expedition. The recent shipment there set off last week."
Earlier, the institute wrote on its website that on March 19 a group of scientists could not leave for Spitsbergen, because in the pandemic the EU and Norway had closed borders for foreigners. At the same time, the expedition’s leader Yuri Ugrumov told TASS that the expedition would carry out all planned studies despite the closed borders.
Presently, he said, Spitsbergen’s residents and members of the expedition have not reported cases of coronavirus infection there. A new group of Russian scientists will leave for the archipelago as soon as the borders are reopened.
To date, 17 scientists continue working on the archipelago under the expedition. Most of them are year-round staff, conducting observations in Barentsburg settlement.


tass--2020-05-14--Putin: genetic research comparable to 20th century atomic project in scope

NOVO-OGARYOVO , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
Ongoing genetic research can be compared by its importance to the 20th century atomic and space projects , Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday .
`` By the scope of tasks , the breakthrough and the significance for the country , I believe that the program of developing genetic technologies is comparable to the 20th century atomic and space projects , '' Putin said at a meeting on developing genetic technologies in Russia .
Considering this importance , `` the entire management system and the program structure must correspond to this high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so as not simply to create the scientific groundwork but to convert it , and moreover , as quickly as possible , into practical results , into real technologies and products competitive both in Russia and abroad , '' the head of state stressed .
For this purpose , Russia is setting up three world-level genomic centers under the Science national project , Putin said .
`` Each of them is set to operate as a consortium of research institutes , universities , production and innovation companies , and moreover , from Novosibirsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out .
Putin instructed CEO of Rosneft state-owned oil company Igor Sechin to report on the projects of developing genetic technologies because Rosneft has become the program ’ s main technological partner .
`` I also requested the heads of other companies to join the mainstream , as it is called , and key areas of development , using their financial resources , '' Putin said .

NOVO-OGARYOVO, May 14. /TASS/. Ongoing genetic research can be compared by its importance to the 20th century atomic and space projects, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
"By the scope of tasks, the breakthrough and the significance for the country, I believe that the program of developing genetic technologies is comparable to the 20th century atomic and space projects," Putin said at a meeting on developing genetic technologies in Russia.
Considering this importance, "the entire management system and the program structure must correspond to this high level and be organized in a way so as not simply to create the scientific groundwork but to convert it, and moreover, as quickly as possible, into practical results, into real technologies and products competitive both in Russia and abroad," the head of state stressed.
For this purpose, Russia is setting up three world-level genomic centers under the Science national project, Putin said.
"Each of them is set to operate as a consortium of research institutes, universities, production and innovation companies, and moreover, from Novosibirsk to Crimea," the Russian president pointed out.
Putin instructed CEO of Rosneft state-owned oil company Igor Sechin to report on the projects of developing genetic technologies because Rosneft has become the program’s main technological partner.
"I also requested the heads of other companies to join the mainstream, as it is called, and key areas of development, using their financial resources," Putin said.


tass--2020-05-14--Supermicro Expands Portfolio with Fully Integrated NVIDIA A100 GPU-Powered Systems

SAN JOSE , California , May 14 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Super Micro Computer , Inc. ( Nasdaq : SMCI ) , a global leader in enterprise computing , storage , networking solutions and green computing technology , today announced two new systems designed for artificial intelligence ( AI ) deep learning applications that fully leverage the third-generation NVIDIA HGX™ technology with the new NVIDIA A100™ Tensor Core GPUs as well as full support for the new NVIDIA A100 GPUs across the company 's broad portfolio of 1U , 2U , 4U and 10U GPU servers .
NVIDIA A100 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unifies training , inference , HPC , and analytics .
`` Expanding upon our industry-leading portfolio of GPU systems and NVIDIA HGX-2 system technology , Supermicro is introducing a new 2U system implementing the new NVIDIA HGX™ A100 4 GPU board ( formerly codenamed Redstone ) and a new 4U system based on the new NVIDIA HGX A100 8 GPU board ( formerly codenamed Delta ) delivering 5 PetaFLOPS of AI performance , '' said Charles Liang , CEO and president of Supermicro .
`` As GPU accelerated computing evolves and continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers the very latest system advancements to help them achieve maximum acceleration at every scale while optimizing GPU utilization .
These new systems will significantly boost performance on all accelerated workloads for HPC , data analytics , deep learning training and deep learning inference . ''
As a balanced data center platform for HPC and AI applications , Supermicro 's new 2U system leverages the NVIDIA HGX A100 4 GPU board with four direct-attached NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs using PCI-E 4.0 for maximum performance and NVIDIA NVLink™ for high-speed GPU-to-GPU interconnects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ networking and storage performance with support for one PCI-E 4.0 x8 and up to four PCI-E 4.0 x16 expansion slots for GPUDirect RDMA high-speed network cards and storage such as InfiniBand™ HDR™ , which supports up to 200Gb per second bandwidth .
`` AI models are exploding in complexity as they take on next-level challenges such as accurate conversational AI , deep recommender systems and personalized medicine , '' said Ian Buck , general manager and VP of accelerated computing at NVIDIA .
`` By implementing the NVIDIA HGX A100 platform into their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful performance and massive scalability that enable researchers to train the most complex AI networks at unprecedented speed . ''
Optimized for AI and machine learning , Supermicro 's new 4U system supports eight A100 Tensor Core GPUs .
The 4U form factor with eight GPUs is ideal for customers that want to scale their deployment as their processing requirements expand .
The new 4U system will have one NVIDIA HGX A100 8 GPU board with eight A100 GPUs all-to-all connected with NVIDIA NVSwitch™ for up to 600GB per second GPU-to-GPU bandwidth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network cards .
Ideal for deep learning training , data centers can use this scale-up platform to create next-gen AI and maximize data scientists ' productivity with support for ten x16 expansion slots .
Customers can expect a significant performance boost across Supermicro 's extensive portfolio of 1U , 2U , 4U and 10U multi-GPU servers when they are equipped with the new NVIDIA A100 GPUs .
For maximum acceleration , Supermicro 's new A+ GPU system supports up to eight full-height double-wide ( or single-wide ) GPUs via direct-attach PCI-E 4.0 x16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lowest latency and highest bandwidth .
The system also supports up to three additional high-performance PCI-E 4.0 expansion slots for a variety of uses , including high-performance networking connectivity up to 100G .
An additional AIOM slot supports a Supermicro AIOM card or an OCP 3.0 mezzanine card .
As the leader in AI system technology , Supermicro offers multi-GPU optimized thermal designs that provide the highest performance and reliability for AI , Deep Learning , and HPC applications .
With 1U , 2U , 4U , and 10U rackmount GPU systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems supporting GPUs ; as well as GPU blade modules for our 8U SuperBlade® , Supermicro offers the industry 's widest and deepest selection of GPU systems to power applications from Edge to Cloud .
To deliver enhanced security and unprecedented performance at the edge , Supermicro plans to add the new NVIDIA EGX™ A100 configuration to its edge server portfolio .
The EGX A100 converged accelerator combines an NVIDIA Mellanox SmartNIC with GPUs powered by the new NVIDIA Ampere architecture , so enterprises can run AI at the edge more securely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems , please visit www.supermicro.com/A100 .
Follow Supermicro on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook to receive their latest news and announcements .
Supermicro ( Nasdaq : SMCI ) , the leading innovator in high-performance , high-efficiency server technology , is a premier provider of advanced Server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center , Cloud Computing , Enterprise IT , Hadoop/Big Data , HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide .
Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its `` We Keep IT Green® '' initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supermicro , Server Building Block Solutions , BigTwin , SuperBlade , and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer , Inc. All other brands , names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners .

SAN JOSE, California, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMCI), a global leader in enterprise computing, storage, networking solutions and green computing technology, today announced two new systems designed for artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning applications that fully leverage the third-generation NVIDIA HGX™ technology with the new NVIDIA A100™ Tensor Core GPUs as well as full support for the new NVIDIA A100 GPUs across the company's broad portfolio of 1U, 2U, 4U and 10U GPU servers. NVIDIA A100 is the first elastic, multi-instance GPU that unifies training, inference, HPC, and analytics.
"Expanding upon our industry-leading portfolio of GPU systems and NVIDIA HGX-2 system technology, Supermicro is introducing a new 2U system implementing the new NVIDIA HGX™ A100 4 GPU board (formerly codenamed Redstone) and a new 4U system based on the new NVIDIA HGX A100 8 GPU board (formerly codenamed Delta) delivering 5 PetaFLOPS of AI performance," said Charles Liang, CEO and president of Supermicro. "As GPU accelerated computing evolves and continues to transform data centers, Supermicro will provide customers the very latest system advancements to help them achieve maximum acceleration at every scale while optimizing GPU utilization. These new systems will significantly boost performance on all accelerated workloads for HPC, data analytics, deep learning training and deep learning inference."
As a balanced data center platform for HPC and AI applications, Supermicro's new 2U system leverages the NVIDIA HGX A100 4 GPU board with four direct-attached NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs using PCI-E 4.0 for maximum performance and NVIDIA NVLink™ for high-speed GPU-to-GPU interconnects. This advanced GPU system accelerates compute, networking and storage performance with support for one PCI-E 4.0 x8 and up to four PCI-E 4.0 x16 expansion slots for GPUDirect RDMA high-speed network cards and storage such as InfiniBand™ HDR™, which supports up to 200Gb per second bandwidth.
"AI models are exploding in complexity as they take on next-level challenges such as accurate conversational AI, deep recommender systems and personalized medicine," said Ian Buck, general manager and VP of accelerated computing at NVIDIA. "By implementing the NVIDIA HGX A100 platform into their new servers, Supermicro provides customers the powerful performance and massive scalability that enable researchers to train the most complex AI networks at unprecedented speed."
Optimized for AI and machine learning, Supermicro's new 4U system supports eight A100 Tensor Core GPUs. The 4U form factor with eight GPUs is ideal for customers that want to scale their deployment as their processing requirements expand. The new 4U system will have one NVIDIA HGX A100 8 GPU board with eight A100 GPUs all-to-all connected with NVIDIA NVSwitch™ for up to 600GB per second GPU-to-GPU bandwidth and eight expansion slots for GPUDirect RDMA high-speed network cards. Ideal for deep learning training, data centers can use this scale-up platform to create next-gen AI and maximize data scientists' productivity with support for ten x16 expansion slots.
Customers can expect a significant performance boost across Supermicro's extensive portfolio of 1U, 2U, 4U and 10U multi-GPU servers when they are equipped with the new NVIDIA A100 GPUs. For maximum acceleration, Supermicro's new A+ GPU system supports up to eight full-height double-wide (or single-wide) GPUs via direct-attach PCI-E 4.0 x16 CPU-to-GPU lanes without any PCI-E switch for the lowest latency and highest bandwidth. The system also supports up to three additional high-performance PCI-E 4.0 expansion slots for a variety of uses, including high-performance networking connectivity up to 100G. An additional AIOM slot supports a Supermicro AIOM card or an OCP 3.0 mezzanine card.
As the leader in AI system technology, Supermicro offers multi-GPU optimized thermal designs that provide the highest performance and reliability for AI, Deep Learning, and HPC applications. With 1U, 2U, 4U, and 10U rackmount GPU systems; Utra, BigTwin™, and embedded systems supporting GPUs; as well as GPU blade modules for our 8U SuperBlade® , Supermicro offers the industry's widest and deepest selection of GPU systems to power applications from Edge to Cloud.
To deliver enhanced security and unprecedented performance at the edge, Supermicro plans to add the new NVIDIA EGX™ A100 configuration to its edge server portfolio. The EGX A100 converged accelerator combines an NVIDIA Mellanox SmartNIC with GPUs powered by the new NVIDIA Ampere architecture, so enterprises can run AI at the edge more securely.
For more on Supermicro's new GPU systems, please visit www.supermicro.com/A100.
Follow Supermicro on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to receive their latest news and announcements.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro (Nasdaq: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a premier provider of advanced Server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green®" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.
Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, BigTwin, SuperBlade, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1168093/RedStone_SuperMinute_100.mp4
CONTACT: Michael Kalodrich, Super Micro Computer, Inc., PR@supermicro.com


tass--2020-05-14--Russia, Italy working on treatment of COVID-19 with plasma-based drugs

MOSCOW , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
The Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) is working together with Kedrion , an Italian company , and with the FSI investment fund on launching a project on treating COVID-19 , a disease caused by the novel coronavirus , using drugs based on human blood plasma , the fund ’ s press release informs .
`` The RDIF is actively cooperating with Italian companies in the sphere of medical technology to find new means of combating the coronavirus .
Together with one of the global leaders in the production of blood plasma-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FSI investment fund , we are working on launching a project in Russia on treating the coronavirus with drugs based on human blood plasma , '' head of the fund Kirill Dmitriev said .
Besides , the RDIF is cooperating with Italy in other areas in order to fight the coronavirus .
Russian military medics sent to Italy used the EMG mobile test systems produced with the support of the fund .
The press service also noted that Dmitriev has been honored with the Star of Italy medal , a state award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bilateral investment cooperation .
The official award ceremony will take place in the Italian Embassy in Moscow when the coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the latest statistics , over 4,442,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 298,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 1,668,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .
To date , a total of 252,245 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 53,530 patients having recovered from the virus .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 2,305 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation @

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is working together with Kedrion, an Italian company, and with the FSI investment fund on launching a project on treating COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, using drugs based on human blood plasma, the fund’s press release informs.
"The RDIF is actively cooperating with Italian companies in the sphere of medical technology to find new means of combating the coronavirus. Together with one of the global leaders in the production of blood plasma-based products, the Kedrion company, and the FSI investment fund, we are working on launching a project in Russia on treating the coronavirus with drugs based on human blood plasma," head of the fund Kirill Dmitriev said.
Besides, the RDIF is cooperating with Italy in other areas in order to fight the coronavirus. Russian military medics sent to Italy used the EMG mobile test systems produced with the support of the fund.
The press service also noted that Dmitriev has been honored with the Star of Italy medal, a state award for significant contribution to the development of bilateral investment cooperation. The official award ceremony will take place in the Italian Embassy in Moscow when the coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 4,442,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 298,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,668,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 252,245 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 53,530 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,305 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-14--JA Solar to host webinar on may 18 with top photovoltaic experts

BEIJING , May 14 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- JA Solar ( SZE : 002459 ) announced that it is hosting @ @ @ @ @ PV Technology Conference '' online on May 18 , 2020 at 2 pm ( UTC+8 @ @ @ @ @ partners to discuss the development of future photovoltaic technologies .
In 2020 , as a @ @ @ @ @ arising in global PV market due to continuously emerging new technologies , there comes higher @ @ @ @ @ with technological breakthroughs and product upgrades .
Hosting the webinar , JA Solar aims to @ @ @ @ @ enables global partners to address the challenges and discover the future opportunities for the development @ @ @ @ @ they can jointly bring forth solutions to break through the current dilemma facing the industry @ @ @ @ @ industry experts including Professor Martin Green , the father of photovoltaics and Wang Bohua , @ @ @ @ @ Industry Association as well as JA Solar 's high-efficiency solar solutions and the product development @ @ @ @ @ .

BEIJING, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- JA Solar (SZE: 002459) announced that it is hosting "Smart Empowerment - 2020 PV Technology Conference" online on May 18, 2020 at 2 pm (UTC+8) to invite global industry partners to discuss the development of future photovoltaic technologies.
In 2020, as a multitude of opportunities and challenges arising in global PV market due to continuously emerging new technologies, there comes higher opportunity cost of choice together with technological breakthroughs and product upgrades.
Hosting the webinar, JA Solar aims to offer a leading platform that enables global partners to address the challenges and discover the future opportunities for the development of PV products, where they can jointly bring forth solutions to break through the current dilemma facing the industry. The webinar features leading industry experts including Professor Martin Green, the father of photovoltaics and Wang Bohua, Secretary-General of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association as well as JA Solar's high-efficiency solar solutions and the product development roadmap for the global market.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1168233/conference_agenda.jpg
CONTACT: Xiaorui Sun, +86-10-63611888-1698, bj.sunxr@jasolar.com


tass--2020-05-14--Huami corporation maintains continued profitability and growth

SHENZHEN , China , May 14 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Huami Corporation ( NYSE : HMI ) announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31 , 2020 .
Huami revenues reached RMB1,088.5 million ( US $ 153.7 million ) , representing an increase of 36.1 % from the first quarter of 2019 .
Total units shipped reached 7.6 million , compared with 5.6 million in the first quarter of 2019 .
`` Despite the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic , brand recognition , new product launches and successful marketing spearheaded solid first quarter revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wang Huang , Chairman and CEO of Huami .
`` In addition to the aforementioned revenue drivers , we also made solid headway in international markets , with a keen focus on the market nuances of each key region and a multi-channel strategy including both direct sales and third-party sales channels .
David Cui , Chief Financial Officer , added , `` Despite of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that many other companies are also facing , we still kept our robust revenue growth , and remained profitable in this challenging time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand awareness and adoption of our products by users both domestically and in the overseas market .
During the first quarter , we continue to push investments in both R & D and sales and marketing , as product innovation and sales channel integrity are key components of our success .
While we have seen some shortage impacts on our product manufacturing due to disruptions to our supply chain during the quarter , we are optimistic of stronger profitability in the long term as the pandemic , along with its impact , runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenses increased by 63.5 % from RMB72.4 million in first quarter 2019 to RMB118.3 million ( US $ 16.7 million ) in first quarter 2020 .
This increase was primarily due to an increase in the number of R & D staff and a rise in investment in healthcare related features , algorithms , cloud-services , chip research , and new products development to carry out Huami 's mission Connect Health with Technology .
Huami aims to launch a series of new products in the upcoming quarters of 2020 .
In April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazfit X Smartwatch with curved AMOLED screen and button free design by crowdfunding .

SHENZHEN, China, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Huami Corporation (NYSE: HMI) announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. Huami revenues reached RMB1,088.5 million (US$153.7 million), representing an increase of 36.1% from the first quarter of 2019. Total units shipped reached 7.6 million, compared with 5.6 million in the first quarter of 2019.
"Despite the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, brand recognition, new product launches and successful marketing spearheaded solid first quarter revenue growth of 36.1%," said Wang Huang, Chairman and CEO of Huami. "In addition to the aforementioned revenue drivers, we also made solid headway in international markets, with a keen focus on the market nuances of each key region and a multi-channel strategy including both direct sales and third-party sales channels.
David Cui, Chief Financial Officer, added, "Despite of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that many other companies are also facing, we still kept our robust revenue growth, and remained profitable in this challenging time period. This was driven by increasing brand awareness and adoption of our products by users both domestically and in the overseas market.
During the first quarter, we continue to push investments in both R&D and sales and marketing, as product innovation and sales channel integrity are key components of our success. While we have seen some shortage impacts on our product manufacturing due to disruptions to our supply chain during the quarter, we are optimistic of stronger profitability in the long term as the pandemic, along with its impact, runs its course."
Research and development expenses increased by 63.5% from RMB72.4 million in first quarter 2019 to RMB118.3 million (US$16.7 million) in first quarter 2020. This increase was primarily due to an increase in the number of R&D staff and a rise in investment in healthcare related features, algorithms, cloud-services, chip research, and new products development to carry out Huami's mission Connect Health with Technology. Huami aims to launch a series of new products in the upcoming quarters of 2020. In April, its self-owned brand, Amazfit launched the Amazfit X Smartwatch with curved AMOLED screen and button free design by crowdfunding.
For media Inquiry
press@huami.com
CONTACT: LIU Yunya, +86-15999658480


tass--2020-05-14--Russia’s global warming rate 2.5 times higher than world average, expert says

MOSCOW , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s global warming rate is 2.5 times higher than the world @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Roman Vilfand informed on Thursday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ rate on the territory of our country is 2.5 times higher than the average increase @ @ @ @ @ .
This is explained by a variety of factors , '' he said during an @ @ @ @ @ According to Vilfand , global warming rate in Russia is faster than in the rest @ @ @ @ @ its location : the country is located in temperate and high latitudes and it is @ @ @ @

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Russia’s global warming rate is 2.5 times higher than the world average, Scientific Director of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Roman Vilfand informed on Thursday.
"The [global warming] rate on the territory of our country is 2.5 times higher than the average increase in temperatures in the world. This is explained by a variety of factors," he said during an online conference in Moscow.
According to Vilfand, global warming rate in Russia is faster than in the rest of the world due to its location: the country is located in temperate and high latitudes and it is a continental territory.


tass--2020-05-14--Recovered patient may remain asymptomatic carrier, says watchdog

`` A person who has had the coronavirus infection and has no symptoms may remain an asymptomatic carrier for a certain period of time .
Chinese scientists have found out that the coronavirus may remain in the human body at least for 14 days after the clinical recovery and the disappearance of all symptoms , '' the watchdog said .
MOSCOW , May 14 .
/TASS/ .
A patient who has recovered from the novel coronavirus infection may remain an asymptomatic carrier of the virus for some time , the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Thursday .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymptomatic carrier will be able to infect others .
The duration of the coronavirus infection depends on the amount of the pathogen that has entered the human body and the individual ’ s immune response .
`` The criterion that confirms the person in question is no longer a source of pathogens is a double negative test , made at least after a one-day interval , '' the watchdog added .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,442,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 298,000 deaths have been reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,668,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .
To date , a total of 252,245 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 53,530 patients having recovered from the virus .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 2,305 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

"A person who has had the coronavirus infection and has no symptoms may remain an asymptomatic carrier for a certain period of time. Chinese scientists have found out that the coronavirus may remain in the human body at least for 14 days after the clinical recovery and the disappearance of all symptoms," the watchdog said.
MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. A patient who has recovered from the novel coronavirus infection may remain an asymptomatic carrier of the virus for some time, the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Thursday.
However, it is very unlikely that such an asymptomatic carrier will be able to infect others. The duration of the coronavirus infection depends on the amount of the pathogen that has entered the human body and the individual’s immune response.
"The criterion that confirms the person in question is no longer a source of pathogens is a double negative test, made at least after a one-day interval," the watchdog added.
According to the latest statistics, over 4,442,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 298,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,668,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 252,245 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 53,530 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,305 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-14--Weifang Online Travel, Presidents of Chambers of Commerce at Home and Abroad

WEIFANG , China , May 14 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Publicity Department of Weifang City , on April 28 , an online meeting -- Weifang Online Travel , Presidents of Chambers of Commerce at Home and Abroad -- was hosted by Weifang City , Shandong Province .
With the focus on Online Connection for Common Development , the event used Cloud Conferencing to connect 62 presidents of chambers of commerce from 26 countries and regions , including Japan , South Korea , the UK , Germany , the US , France and Canada as well as over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charm of Weifang city and to facilitate the implementation of key cooperation projects .
The Weifang government signed strategic cooperation agreements with eight chambers of commerce and enterprises .
Also signed off were six key cooperation projects including : the Weifang Postpartum Recovery Center ; Weifang-HK City Cultural Industry Center Project ; Equipment Development and Production Base for Sampling , Testing and Analysis of Bulk Materials ; Annual Output of 20,000 Tons of Lactate ; and Annual Output of 3,000 Tons of Meltblown and Spunbond Fabrics .
In addition , 26 domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were recruited to be Weifang Investment Promotion Ambassadors .
The event concluded agreements for 17 foreign investment projects , 12 projects involving returned Shandong businesses , one military-civilian integration project , and one Top 500 Chinese Enterprise project , with a total investment of 12.89 billion RMB .
Link : http : //asianetnews.net/view-attachment ?
attach-id=363579 Caption : Tian Qingying , Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Weifang issues letters of appointment to the Investment Promotion Ambassadors .

WEIFANG, China, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Publicity Department of Weifang City, on April 28, an online meeting -- Weifang Online Travel, Presidents of Chambers of Commerce at Home and Abroad -- was hosted by Weifang City, Shandong Province. With the focus on Online Connection for Common Development, the event used Cloud Conferencing to connect 62 presidents of chambers of commerce from 26 countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, the UK, Germany, the US, France and Canada as well as over 90 attendees from China, to showcase the charm of Weifang city and to facilitate the implementation of key cooperation projects.
The Weifang government signed strategic cooperation agreements with eight chambers of commerce and enterprises. Also signed off were six key cooperation projects including: the Weifang Postpartum Recovery Center; Weifang-HK City Cultural Industry Center Project; Equipment Development and Production Base for Sampling, Testing and Analysis of Bulk Materials; Annual Output of 20,000 Tons of Lactate; and Annual Output of 3,000 Tons of Meltblown and Spunbond Fabrics.
In addition, 26 domestic and international presidents of chambers of commerce were recruited to be Weifang Investment Promotion Ambassadors. The event concluded agreements for 17 foreign investment projects, 12 projects involving returned Shandong businesses, one military-civilian integration project, and one Top 500 Chinese Enterprise project, with a total investment of 12.89 billion RMB.
Image Attachments Links:
Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=363578
Caption: Signing Ceremony of Weifang Key Cooperation Projects
Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=363579
Caption: Tian Qingying, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Weifang issues letters of appointment to the Investment Promotion Ambassadors.
CONTACT: Ms. Zhang, Tel: +86-10-63074558


tass--2020-05-14--Boao Forum for Asia to open an office in Hainan's Haikou

HAIKOU , May 14./ TASS/ .
The secretariat of the Boao Economic Forum for Asia will establish a permanent office in Haikou , the capital of Hainan , the Hainan Daily newspaper reported .
According to the news outlet , the Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee Liu Cigui and the Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia Li Baodong held a meeting on May in Haikou and signed a memorandum of cooperation between the government of Hainan and the forum 's secretariat .
According to the newspaper , the main goal of a permanent Haikou office is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the secretariat during the forum , as well as the World Tourism Conference , forum council meetings and other events .
The permanent mission 's work will also work to attract investments to the region and boost the province 's international cooperation .
The news outlet emphasizes that the Hainan authorities will continue to make efforts to improve the forum 's infrastructure and improve the quality of service to turn the event into a world-famous platform for dialogue between government and business .
Boao Forum for Asia , dubbed the Davos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for signing important agreements and international coordination between business and political elites .
The forum has been held since 2001 , usually in spring , following China 's main annual political event — the two sessions , where the Chinese authorities shape up the country 's national strategy .
The government pays special attention to the forum as it facilitates China 's international contracts , settles diplomatic agenda , promotes China 's image and the concept of `` Community of Common Destiny '' globally .
This regular forum `` has become an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
The Boao Forum bacame the center of global attention in April , 2018 , when China 's President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony .
Speaking at the forum , the Chinese leader for the first time announced a number of important national policy highlights regarding the new market reforms , structural changes and boosting China 's openness .
This year the event was supposed to be held on March 24-27 , however , due to the coronavirus pandemic in the world , the organizing committee decided to cancel the forum @

HAIKOU, May 14./ TASS/. The secretariat of the Boao Economic Forum for Asia will establish a permanent office in Haikou, the capital of Hainan, the Hainan Daily newspaper reported.
According to the news outlet, the Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee Liu Cigui and the Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia Li Baodong held a meeting on May in Haikou and signed a memorandum of cooperation between the government of Hainan and the forum's secretariat.
According to the newspaper, the main goal of a permanent Haikou office is to improve coordination of the provincial government and the secretariat during the forum, as well as the World Tourism Conference, forum council meetings and other events. The permanent mission's work will also work to attract investments to the region and boost the province's international cooperation. The news outlet emphasizes that the Hainan authorities will continue to make efforts to improve the forum's infrastructure and improve the quality of service to turn the event into a world-famous platform for dialogue between government and business.
About the forum's history
Boao Forum for Asia, dubbed the Davos of the East, is a big platform for signing important agreements and international coordination between business and political elites. The forum has been held since 2001, usually in spring, following China's main annual political event — the two sessions, where the Chinese authorities shape up the country's national strategy.
The government pays special attention to the forum as it facilitates China's international contracts, settles diplomatic agenda, promotes China's image and the concept of "Community of Common Destiny" globally. This regular forum "has become an important bridge connecting China with the outside world".
The Boao Forum bacame the center of global attention in April, 2018, when China's President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony. Speaking at the forum, the Chinese leader for the first time announced a number of important national policy highlights regarding the new market reforms, structural changes and boosting China's openness.
This year the event was supposed to be held on March 24-27, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic in the world, the organizing committee decided to cancel the forum.


tass--2020-05-15--Another 30,000 Russians wish to return home from overseas — Lavrov

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
About 30,000 Russian nationals who wish to return home still remain overseas , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC on Friday .
`` According to our estimates , another 30,000 Russians would like to return to Russia .
Twice as many people have registered on the government services website but the checks that we are carrying out together with the Interior Ministry and the Communications Ministry show that many of those registered don ’ t plan to return to Russia , '' he said .
Lavrov explained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries but they `` decided to take advantage of the situation and register to see how things play out . ''
`` However , we estimate the number of those truly wishing to return at about 30,000 .
It ’ s a large number if you think about how many people a plane can carry , '' the top diplomat added .
According to him , there is much work to be done .
`` The work has been organized in many aspects but extraordinary situations continue to emerge , though less frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no need to introduce a system of exit permits for Russians wishing to travel after the coronavirus pandemic , Sergey Lavrov stated .
`` I don ’ t see any need and have not heard about any plans of this kind among people who even have the slightest responsibility for making these decisions , '' he said , answering the question if Russia is planning to introduce exit visas for Russians after easing the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus .
`` I don ’ t know who talks about that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union , it is their right to do so , I guess , '' Lavrov noted .
To combat the coronavirus pandemic , Russia fully suspended regular and charter air travel on March 27 , airlines can only carry out flights to bring Russian citizens home .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .

More than 300 Russians, including school students, to fly home from New York — diplomat
According to him, there is much work to be done. "The work has been organized in many aspects but extraordinary situations continue to emerge, though less frequently," Lavrov noted.
"According to our estimates, another 30,000 Russians would like to return to Russia. Twice as many people have registered on the government services website but the checks that we are carrying out together with the Interior Ministry and the Communications Ministry show that many of those registered don’t plan to return to Russia," he said. Lavrov explained that those Russian nationals permanently reside in other countries but they "decided to take advantage of the situation and register to see how things play out." "However, we estimate the number of those truly wishing to return at about 30,000. It’s a large number if you think about how many people a plane can carry," the top diplomat added.
MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. About 30,000 Russian nationals who wish to return home still remain overseas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC on Friday.
There is no need to introduce a system of exit permits for Russians wishing to travel after the coronavirus pandemic, Sergey Lavrov stated.
"I don’t see any need and have not heard about any plans of this kind among people who even have the slightest responsibility for making these decisions," he said, answering the question if Russia is planning to introduce exit visas for Russians after easing the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
"I don’t know who talks about that. If people yearn for the Soviet Union, it is their right to do so, I guess," Lavrov noted.
To combat the coronavirus pandemic, Russia fully suspended regular and charter air travel on March 27, airlines can only carry out flights to bring Russian citizens home.
Help for travel sector after pandemic
Russia’s Foreign Ministry is ready to help the country’s travel sector elaborate solutions after the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
"I think the travel sector will make conclusions from this situation. We will be ready to help," he said in an interview with RBC, recommending travellers to buy insurance policies, which is optional now.
He stressed that foreign trips are not a privilege but a constitutional right of Russian nationals. "Planning a trip abroad, each person should take decisions independently," he said.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.


tass--2020-05-15--Losses of global economy from pandemic could reach $8.8 trillion, report says

According to the report , the global economy can suffer losses ranging from $ 5.8 trillion to $ 8.8 trillion , which is equivalent to 6.4-9.7 % of the global GDP due to the coronavirus pandemic .
HONG KONG , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
Losses of the global economy from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 can range from $ 5.8 trillion to $ 8.8 trillion , according to a report released on Friday by the Asian Development Bank .
Bank experts said that their estimated losses of $ 8.8 trillion suggest a scenario with a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which restrictions will be in effect for six months .
If economic activity recovers in three months , this figure will be $ 5.8 trillion .
In particular , economic losses in the Asia-Pacific region can vary from $ 1.7 trillion ( a 3-month scenario ) to $ 2.5 trillion ( six months ) .
China may suffer losses in the amount of $ 1.1-1.6 trillion , the report said .
Earlier , in its forecast of April 3 , the bank predicted the volume of world economy losses from the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion to $ 4.1 trillion .
The new analysis provides an overview of the very significant potential economic impact of COVID-19 , the bank ’ s Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada said , adding that it also highlights the important role of policy measures that can help mitigate the damage to the economy .

According to the report, the global economy can suffer losses ranging from $5.8 trillion to $8.8 trillion, which is equivalent to 6.4-9.7% of the global GDP due to the coronavirus pandemic.
HONG KONG, May 15. /TASS/. Losses of the global economy from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 can range from $5.8 trillion to $8.8 trillion, according to a report released on Friday by the Asian Development Bank.
Bank experts said that their estimated losses of $8.8 trillion suggest a scenario with a long period of containment of the pandemic, in which restrictions will be in effect for six months. If economic activity recovers in three months, this figure will be $5.8 trillion.
In particular, economic losses in the Asia-Pacific region can vary from $1.7 trillion (a 3-month scenario) to $2.5 trillion (six months). China may suffer losses in the amount of $1.1-1.6 trillion, the report said.
Earlier, in its forecast of April 3, the bank predicted the volume of world economy losses from the COVID-19 pandemic at a level of $2 trillion to $4.1 trillion. The new analysis provides an overview of the very significant potential economic impact of COVID-19, the bank’s Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada said, adding that it also highlights the important role of policy measures that can help mitigate the damage to the economy.


tass--2020-05-15--Russia appeals decision of Hague Court of Appeal on Yukos

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow has appealed the decision of the Hague Court of Appeal , which ruled to recover $ 57 bln from Russia for the benefit of former shareholders of Yukos oil company , a spokesperson with Russia ’ s Justice Ministry told reporters on Friday .
`` On May 15 , the Russian Federation filed a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court of the Netherlands , demanding the cancellation of the decision of the Hague Court of Appeal on the lawsuit of the former majority shareholders of the Yukos oil company , obliging Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the damage it allegedly caused , '' the ministry official said .
The ministry asserted that Russia would consistently defend its interests both in the cassation court of the Netherlands and in other jurisdictions .
On February 18 , The Hague Court of Appeal reinstated an order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague , which obliged Russia to pay more than $ 50 bln to the companies associated with former Yukos shareholders in 2014 .
The appeal court ignored the opinion of The Hague District Court and the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fide investors as they had won control of the company ’ s assets through a number of unlawful actions , Head of the International Legal Protection Center representing Russia in the Yukos case Andrei Kondakov said earlier .
According to him , the verdict does not mean an instant launch of the procedure to freeze Russian assets abroad .

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. Moscow has appealed the decision of the Hague Court of Appeal, which ruled to recover $57 bln from Russia for the benefit of former shareholders of Yukos oil company, a spokesperson with Russia’s Justice Ministry told reporters on Friday.
"On May 15, the Russian Federation filed a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, demanding the cancellation of the decision of the Hague Court of Appeal on the lawsuit of the former majority shareholders of the Yukos oil company, obliging Russia to pay $57 bln in compensation for the damage it allegedly caused," the ministry official said.
The ministry asserted that Russia would consistently defend its interests both in the cassation court of the Netherlands and in other jurisdictions.
On February 18, The Hague Court of Appeal reinstated an order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which obliged Russia to pay more than $50 bln to the companies associated with former Yukos shareholders in 2014.
The appeal court ignored the opinion of The Hague District Court and the fact that ex-shareholders of Yukos were not bona fide investors as they had won control of the company’s assets through a number of unlawful actions, Head of the International Legal Protection Center representing Russia in the Yukos case Andrei Kondakov said earlier. According to him, the verdict does not mean an instant launch of the procedure to freeze Russian assets abroad.


tass--2020-05-15--Virus outbreak in China not grounds for sanctions against Beijing, Lavrov stresses

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
The emergence of the virus in China can not serve as the ground for slapping sanctions against that country , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC media group on Friday .
`` There is the need to find the specific causes of the emergence of this virus and understand why the process of its person-to-person transmission has begun and so on , '' Russia ’ s top diplomat said .
`` Eventually , this will be important for developing an antidote and will help secure ourselves against this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus emerged on a marketplace in China and that is why it is necessary to impose sanctions against that country , '' Lavrov said .
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham earlier submitted a bill to Congress , which envisages imposing sanctions against China , if Beijing `` fails to cooperate and provide a full accounting of the events leading up to the outbreak of COVID-19 . ''
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The emergence of the virus in China cannot serve as the ground for slapping sanctions against that country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC media group on Friday.
"There is the need to find the specific causes of the emergence of this virus and understand why the process of its person-to-person transmission has begun and so on," Russia’s top diplomat said.
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham earlier submitted a bill to Congress, which envisages imposing sanctions against China, if Beijing "fails to cooperate and provide a full accounting of the events leading up to the outbreak of COVID-19."
"Eventually, this will be important for developing an antidote and will help secure ourselves against this threat, instead of talking that the virus emerged on a marketplace in China and that is why it is necessary to impose sanctions against that country," Lavrov said.
"Everybody learned about what’s happening there back in late December, when they made sure that this is indeed an epidemic. In January, specialists were already engaged in talks about it, particularly under the WHO auspices. In early February, WHO experts visited Wuhan and, by the way, one Russian specialist was among them," the minister emphasized. "Therefore, to say that the Chinese were shutting out WHO or that WHO was not aware or was aware but covered up certain information is at least wrong."
"Of course, nobody expected these developments, such a scale of the pandemic. However, this is an unprecedented situation, actions had to be taken in conditions when the experience of tackling previous pandemics was not enough, this pandemic is much more severe. And I believe that WHO specialists should not be groundlessly accused but be supported and encouraged in every way," Lavrov specified.
He emphasized that the majority of WHO Secretariat employees are representatives of the countries that scold the organization the hardest, "demanding that the organization should be almost shut down or radically reformed." "The United States, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Australia, Portugal and the United Kingdom make up more than 30% of the WHO Secretariat, the category of specialists who professionally address epidemics and work with healthcare in general," the minister added. "Moreover, most Western countries have specialists in the WHO Secretariat in numbers that far outweigh the average quota which these Western states are supposed to have: Western states account for one-third from roughly 2,100 specialists. Italy, Canada and Australia have 60 people, China has fewer than 40. Russia has 20. I’m sure you’ll agree that if China or some other non-Western country had a malicious plan to abuse WHO to advance their selfish and closed interests, how can a group of 40 people do that if it is faced with more than 700 Western specialists, united by ally obligations as part of NATO and the European Union?"
"Therefore, I would now concentrate on helping experts, helping professionals to come up with an antidote, rather than try to win some geopolitical, electoral or other advantages," Lavrov concluded.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.


tass--2020-05-15--Russia to start production of instruments for Luna-26 orbiter by yearend

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
The production of instruments for the Luna-26 orbital station will begin at the end of 2020 , Director of the Space Research Institute within the Russian Academy of Sciences Anatoly Petrukovich told TASS on Friday .
`` The production of the final types of instruments will begin somewhere at the end of this year , '' he said .
In February , work was completed to test the electric interfaces of devices for switching on/off , selecting and issuing commands and obtaining data , he said .
The Luna-26 lunar orbital probe is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Earth ’ s natural satellite from the orbit .
The Luna-26 orbiter will also carry equipment to create a 3D map .
The space vehicle is expected to be launched in 2024 .
Russia ’ s State Space Corporation Roscosmos also plans to launch the Luna-25 probe in 2021 and the Luna-27 space vehicle in 2025 .
Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin earlier said that Russia ’ s integrated space program whose beginning was scheduled for 2020 would include heavy rovers for drilling the Moon ’ s surface , collecting soil samples @ @ @ @ @ @

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The production of instruments for the Luna-26 orbital station will begin at the end of 2020, Director of the Space Research Institute within the Russian Academy of Sciences Anatoly Petrukovich told TASS on Friday.
"The production of the final types of instruments will begin somewhere at the end of this year," he said.
In February, work was completed to test the electric interfaces of devices for switching on/off, selecting and issuing commands and obtaining data, he said.
The Luna-26 lunar orbital probe is expected to scan almost the entire surface of the Earth’s natural satellite from the orbit. The Luna-26 orbiter will also carry equipment to create a 3D map. The space vehicle is expected to be launched in 2024.
Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos also plans to launch the Luna-25 probe in 2021 and the Luna-27 space vehicle in 2025. Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin earlier said that Russia’s integrated space program whose beginning was scheduled for 2020 would include heavy rovers for drilling the Moon’s surface, collecting soil samples and delivering them to Earth.


tass--2020-05-15--Lavrov says complete freedom of communication unlikely to be restored after pandemic

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
The system of international relations will not be the same after the pandemic , certain precautionary measures in various fields will be taken throughout the world , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the RBC TV channel on Friday .
`` Most experts agree that there won ’ t be any absolutely free system of communication that existed up until now , '' he said .
`` I don ’ t think that some stringent precautionary measures will be considered appropriate .
However , I do not expect such freedom that existed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures based on conclusions stemming from the current situation . ''
According to Russia ’ s top diplomat , the restoration of global ties in various fields will take a long time .
He noted that experts did not expect the coronavirus to disappear completely .
It could start spreading again , and annual outbreaks are possible .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a total of 262,843 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 58,226 patients having recovered from the virus .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 2,418 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. The system of international relations will not be the same after the pandemic, certain precautionary measures in various fields will be taken throughout the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the RBC TV channel on Friday.
"Most experts agree that there won’t be any absolutely free system of communication that existed up until now," he said. "I don’t think that some stringent precautionary measures will be considered appropriate. However, I do not expect such freedom that existed up until now. There will be some measures based on conclusions stemming from the current situation."
According to Russia’s top diplomat, the restoration of global ties in various fields will take a long time. He noted that experts did not expect the coronavirus to disappear completely. It could start spreading again, and annual outbreaks are possible.
According to the latest statistics, over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 262,843 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 58,226 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,418 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-05-15--China has no intention of engaging in arms control talks — Foreign Ministry

BEIJING , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
Beijing has no intention of engaging in multilateral arms control talks , Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday , commenting on a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova , who had said that the issue of China ’ s accession to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( New START ) was contrived .
Zhao Lijian added that Russia and the United States `` possess the largest nuclear arsenals '' and should have a special responsibility for reducing them and creating conditions for other countries to join multilateral arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an important nuclear treaty between Russia and the US and requires great attention .
It is the foundation of strategic stability for the two countries , as well as the basis of global strategic stability .
China has no intention of engaging in any trilateral talks on strategic arms control , '' the Chinese diplomat pointed out .
Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow considered the issue of China ’ s accession to New START to be completely contrived .
She emphasized that Russia was ready to support any multilateral schemes that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provided they were implemented on a voluntary basis and the interests and concerns of all potential participants were taken into account .
New START , which came into force in 2011 , limits Russia and the US to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles ( ICBM ) , submarine-launched ballistic missiles ( SLBM ) and strategic bombers , no more than 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers .
The Treaty is set to remain in effect for ten years ( until 2021 ) unless a new document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document can also be extended for no more than five years ( that is , until 2026 ) by mutual agreement of the parties .
US President Donald Trump said in response to a TASS question on November 4 , 2019 , that the United States would like to make a new arms control agreement with Russia and China , and maybe some other countries .
A US Department of State official said later that despite Beijing ’ s refusal to take part in arms control talks , Washington was interested in launching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be similar to its dialogue with Russia .

BEIJING, May 15. /TASS/. Beijing has no intention of engaging in multilateral arms control talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday, commenting on a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who had said that the issue of China’s accession to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was contrived.
Zhao Lijian added that Russia and the United States "possess the largest nuclear arsenals" and should have a special responsibility for reducing them and creating conditions for other countries to join multilateral arms control deals.
"New START remains an important nuclear treaty between Russia and the US and requires great attention. It is the foundation of strategic stability for the two countries, as well as the basis of global strategic stability. China has no intention of engaging in any trilateral talks on strategic arms control," the Chinese diplomat pointed out.
Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow considered the issue of China’s accession to New START to be completely contrived. She emphasized that Russia was ready to support any multilateral schemes that would contribute to ensuring global security and stability, provided they were implemented on a voluntary basis and the interests and concerns of all potential participants were taken into account.
New START issue
New START, which came into force in 2011, limits Russia and the US to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) and strategic bombers, no more than 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers. The Treaty is set to remain in effect for ten years (until 2021) unless a new document is signed to replace it. The document can also be extended for no more than five years (that is, until 2026) by mutual agreement of the parties.
US President Donald Trump said in response to a TASS question on November 4, 2019, that the United States would like to make a new arms control agreement with Russia and China, and maybe some other countries. A US Department of State official said later that despite Beijing’s refusal to take part in arms control talks, Washington was interested in launching a strategic security dialogue with China that would be similar to its dialogue with Russia.


tass--2020-05-15--Newborns for sale: Officials slam Ukraine for morphing into global online surrogacy market

KIEV , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
The dozens of babies that surrogate mothers in Ukraine have given birth to for foreign clients ( the infants are trapped in Kiev due to the pandemic ) , has laid bare the serious gaps in Ukrainian legislation and this quagmire requires the urgent intervention of the nation ’ s authorities , Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Children ’ s Rights , Nikolai Kuleba , said in response to the dispute over 46 newborns being kept at a hotel in Kiev ’ s suburb .
`` This case once again demonstrates the lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face .
Ukraine has in fact turned into an international online merchant of children .
We have no idea of how many kids like these Ukraine ‘ supplies to clients ’ in other countries in reality , '' Kuleba said on his Facebook page .
He warns that the commercialization of such services in Ukraine would enable the uncontrolled trafficking of Ukrainian children to other countries .
Likewise , Lyudmila Denisova , the Ukrainian parliament ’ s human rights commissioner , shed light on this predicament on Thursday .
`` Once again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal over children born by surrogate mothers , '' she said .
`` This just goes to show that the market for surrogate mother services in Ukraine is vast and chaotic , yet the technologies are advertised as a high-quality trade item . ''
Denisova urged the police , the Health Ministry and the Social Policies Ministry to act and take urgent measures .
The online resource Strana says Ukraine is one of the few countries where surrogacy is officially legal .
In recent years , according to the organization Families Through Surrogacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the services of surrogate mothers in Ukraine has soared ten-fold .
Ukraine turned out far more attractive to foreign clients as soon as the previous hotspot for surrogacy , Asia , cracked down on this commercial activity .
Thailand outlawed surrogacy in 2014 , with India following shortly thereafter .
As a result , thousands of surrogacy tourists from Europe , the United States and Asian countries set their sights on Ukraine .
Currently , there are dozens of clinics in Ukraine offering in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) services .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
According to the media resources , surrogacy prices in Ukraine are far lower than in the United States and the Netherlands , where the service costs no less than $ 100,000 .
In Ukraine , prices range from $ 30,000 to $ 70,000 .
Surrogate mothers receive anywhere from $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 .

KIEV, May 15. /TASS/. The dozens of babies that surrogate mothers in Ukraine have given birth to for foreign clients (the infants are trapped in Kiev due to the pandemic), has laid bare the serious gaps in Ukrainian legislation and this quagmire requires the urgent intervention of the nation’s authorities, Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Nikolai Kuleba, said in response to the dispute over 46 newborns being kept at a hotel in Kiev’s suburb.
"This case once again demonstrates the lack of rights that children born to surrogate mothers face. Ukraine has in fact turned into an international online merchant of children. We have no idea of how many kids like these Ukraine ‘supplies to clients’ in other countries in reality," Kuleba said on his Facebook page. He warns that the commercialization of such services in Ukraine would enable the uncontrolled trafficking of Ukrainian children to other countries.
Likewise, Lyudmila Denisova, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner, shed light on this predicament on Thursday.
"Once again, Ukraine is in the focus of a scandal over children born by surrogate mothers," she said. "This just goes to show that the market for surrogate mother services in Ukraine is vast and chaotic, yet the technologies are advertised as a high-quality trade item."
Denisova urged the police, the Health Ministry and the Social Policies Ministry to act and take urgent measures.
The online resource Strana says Ukraine is one of the few countries where surrogacy is officially legal. In recent years, according to the organization Families Through Surrogacy, the number of those eager to use the services of surrogate mothers in Ukraine has soared ten-fold. Ukraine turned out far more attractive to foreign clients as soon as the previous hotspot for surrogacy, Asia, cracked down on this commercial activity. Thailand outlawed surrogacy in 2014, with India following shortly thereafter. As a result, thousands of surrogacy tourists from Europe, the United States and Asian countries set their sights on Ukraine. Currently, there are dozens of clinics in Ukraine offering in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. These sorts of agencies are popping up throughout the country.
According to the media resources, surrogacy prices in Ukraine are far lower than in the United States and the Netherlands, where the service costs no less than $100,000. In Ukraine, prices range from $30,000 to $70,000. Surrogate mothers receive anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.


tass--2020-05-15--Lavrov blasts rumors Russia seeks to ‘hide’ data on Covid-19 deaths

MOSCOW , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow has no intention of hiding information about the country ’ s coronavirus death rate , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC on Friday .
`` As for the coronavirus statistics , I can assure you that the Russian authorities would be the last to try to hide the truth , '' he pointed out .
`` This is no joke , it is about human lives and I think that it is outrageous to play with them .
Just like it is outrageous to try to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tarnish a country ’ s image , '' Lavrov added .
When asked about the possibility of revoking the credentials of the Financial Times and the New York Times newspapers because of the their articles about Moscow ’ s alleged attempts to hide the actual number of COVID deaths , the Russian top diplomat said : `` I haven ’ t heard anything about it .
I principally oppose kangaroo trials of journalists but journalists should take responsibility for what they publish . ''
The Financial Times newspaper wrote earlier that `` Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be 70 % higher than the government ’ s official data show . ''

MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. Moscow has no intention of hiding information about the country’s coronavirus death rate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RBC on Friday.
"As for the coronavirus statistics, I can assure you that the Russian authorities would be the last to try to hide the truth," he pointed out. "This is no joke, it is about human lives and I think that it is outrageous to play with them. Just like it is outrageous to try to take advantage of the situation in order to tarnish a country’s image," Lavrov added.
When asked about the possibility of revoking the credentials of the Financial Times and the New York Times newspapers because of the their articles about Moscow’s alleged attempts to hide the actual number of COVID deaths, the Russian top diplomat said: "I haven’t heard anything about it. I principally oppose kangaroo trials of journalists but journalists should take responsibility for what they publish."
The Financial Times newspaper wrote earlier that "Russia’s national death toll from coronavirus could be 70% higher than the government’s official data show."


tass--2020-05-15--Finland’s coronavirus cases reach 6,228

Finland’s coronavirus cases reach 6,228

HELSINKI , May 15 .
/TASS/ .
The number of coronavirus cases in Finland has risen to 6,228 after a single day increase of 83 infections , the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare said Friday .
Finland shut down its borders between March 19 and May 13 due to the coronavirus developments .
Moreover , the authorities restricted movement between the capital region of Uusimaa and the rest of the country to curb the spread between March 28 and April 15 .
On Thursday , 6,145 infections were reported .
The latest data points to 287 fatalities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 recoveries from the virus .
Specialists currently assess that the reproduction value of the virus in Finland stands below one .
On May 14 , the Schengen Area reopened borders for working and urgent trips , while classes in Finnish schools and preschools resumed operation .
The ban on public gatherings of over 10 people will stay in place until the end of May , however , this number will be increased to 50 on June 1 .
Moreover , major public events of over 500 people will stay banned until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters , museums , libraries and restaurants will gradually welcome clients back starting with June , while sporting events will also be cleared to go ahead .
Distance learning is expected to stay in place until the end of this academic year .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .
To date , a total of 262,843 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 58,226 patients having recovered from the virus .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 2,418 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

HELSINKI, May 15. /TASS/. The number of coronavirus cases in Finland has risen to 6,228 after a single day increase of 83 infections, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare said Friday.
Finland shut down its borders between March 19 and May 13 due to the coronavirus developments. Moreover, the authorities restricted movement between the capital region of Uusimaa and the rest of the country to curb the spread between March 28 and April 15.
On Thursday, 6,145 infections were reported. The latest data points to 287 fatalities. Moreover, the official agencies register around 5,000 recoveries from the virus. Specialists currently assess that the reproduction value of the virus in Finland stands below one.
On May 14, the Schengen Area reopened borders for working and urgent trips, while classes in Finnish schools and preschools resumed operation.
The ban on public gatherings of over 10 people will stay in place until the end of May, however, this number will be increased to 50 on June 1. Moreover, major public events of over 500 people will stay banned until the end of July. In addition, theaters, museums, libraries and restaurants will gradually welcome clients back starting with June, while sporting events will also be cleared to go ahead. Distance learning is expected to stay in place until the end of this academic year.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 4,543,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 303,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 1,712,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, a total of 262,843 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 58,226 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 2,418 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.