tass--2020-12-09--Sales of fake certificates of negative COVID-19 test results more frequent in Moscow

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow ’ s public prosecutor ’ s office has increased the monitoring of websites selling false certificates of negative test results for the presence of the coronavirus infection due to their increased sales , acting chief of the department on overseeing implementation of the federal legislation of the capital prosecutor ’ s office Dmitry Romanov told TASS on Wednesday .
`` The demand for medical certificates of the absence of the coronavirus infection among the citizens is growing .
Since spring 2020 , illegal schemes on selling false certificates of the absence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autumn instances of sales of fake certificates became more frequent , '' he said .
According to him , the public prosecutor ’ s office is constantly monitoring the media outlets and the internet and warns the citizens that using false certificates is a criminal liability .
`` Currently five criminal cases have been opened , about ten instances are being checked .
Since illegal offers of certificate sales were posted on the internet , Moscow ’ s public prosecutor ’ s office undertook measures to block five websites and to declare the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory of the Russian Federation , '' he added .
He noted that the perpetrators offer to purchase certificates without any tests or screening .
The advantage is dubious since on average the price of a fake certificate is comparable to the average price of a test for the presence of the coronavirus .
The fake certificates are similar to the legal ones and in order to check their authenticity an expert evaluation or an inquiry are needed .
The agency ’ s interlocutor reiterated that the production , sales , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an administrative or a criminal liability .
The official also mentioned another problem related to the coronavirus testing in Moscow : one of the private clinics issued certificates without sending samples of their clients to a laboratory for testing for the presence of the coronavirus .
A criminal case charging fraud was opened .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Moscow’s public prosecutor’s office has increased the monitoring of websites selling false certificates of negative test results for the presence of the coronavirus infection due to their increased sales, acting chief of the department on overseeing implementation of the federal legislation of the capital prosecutor’s office Dmitry Romanov told TASS on Wednesday.
"The demand for medical certificates of the absence of the coronavirus infection among the citizens is growing. Since spring 2020, illegal schemes on selling false certificates of the absence of COVID-19 appeared on the internet, in autumn instances of sales of fake certificates became more frequent," he said.
According to him, the public prosecutor’s office is constantly monitoring the media outlets and the internet and warns the citizens that using false certificates is a criminal liability. "Currently five criminal cases have been opened, about ten instances are being checked. Since illegal offers of certificate sales were posted on the internet, Moscow’s public prosecutor’s office undertook measures to block five websites and to declare the information posted therein illegal for dissemination in the territory of the Russian Federation," he added.
He noted that the perpetrators offer to purchase certificates without any tests or screening. The advantage is dubious since on average the price of a fake certificate is comparable to the average price of a test for the presence of the coronavirus. The fake certificates are similar to the legal ones and in order to check their authenticity an expert evaluation or an inquiry are needed. The agency’s interlocutor reiterated that the production, sales, and use of falsified documents can result in an administrative or a criminal liability.
The official also mentioned another problem related to the coronavirus testing in Moscow: one of the private clinics issued certificates without sending samples of their clients to a laboratory for testing for the presence of the coronavirus. A criminal case charging fraud was opened.


tass--2020-12-09--New sniper rifle for Russian Ground Forces undergoes trials

`` Currently , state trials of an upcoming 7.62 mm semi-automatic sniper rifle and optic sights with improved specifications are @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the general , development of new firearms , including grenade launchers , @ @ @ @ @ ’ priorities .
`` Along with future weapons , we pay significant attention to the @ @ @ @ @ new firearms , grenade launchers and ordnance , '' the commander said .
Currently , @ @ @ @ @ sniper rifle is SVDM , a 7.62 rifle , developed by Kalashnikov Group ( a @ @ @ @

"Currently, state trials of an upcoming 7.62 mm semi-automatic sniper rifle and optic sights with improved specifications are underway," he said.
According to the general, development of new firearms, including grenade launchers, is one of Ground Forces’ priorities.
"Along with future weapons, we pay significant attention to the development of new gear, new firearms, grenade launchers and ordnance," the commander said.
Currently, the most advanced Russian semi-auto sniper rifle is SVDM, a 7.62 rifle, developed by Kalashnikov Group (a Rostec subsidiary).


tass--2020-12-09--Crimea sees COVID-19 infections hit record high for fifth straight day

SIMFEROPOL , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The novel coronavirus infection has been detected in 278 individuals in the Republic of Crimea over the past 24 hours , record highs since the beginning of the pandemic have been documented for five days in a row , Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov reported on his VKontakte page on Wednesday .
`` On December 8 , in the territory of the Republic of Crimea 278 cases of the coronavirus infection were registered , including 22 symptomless cases .
Out of the total number of infections , 215 were detected after seeking medical assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cases recorded previously , '' the Crimean leader wrote .
According to him , over the past 24 hours , 4,001 people have been screened in all laboratories in the republic performing tests for the presence of the novel coronavirus infection .
The total number of recoveries over the entire period has reached 13,500 .
In all , since the beginning of the pandemic in the region , over 17,500 cases of the coronavirus have been recorded .
An increase in the number of infections in Crimea began in October with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In December this value continued to grow : 261 infections were registered on December 4 , 263 - on December 5 , 271 infections - on December 6 , and 274 infections were recorded on December 7 .
Figures below 200 daily infections were detected for the last time on November 23 with 184 infections registered .
Crimea ’ s Health Minister Alexander Ostapenko reported on Tuesday that the first batch of 500 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine has arrived in the region , inoculation will begin on December 12 .
Medics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinated , then the employees of services working with the infected will be inoculated .
A mass vaccination will begin no earlier than January , as the Crimean leader reported earlier .
Due to the spread of the coronavirus , from December 20 through January 15 , the republic introduced restrictions on office parties , banquets , celebrations , and New Year ’ s Eve festivities , including the premises of hotels , spas , and resorts .
During the same period entertainment establishments have to remain closed from 22:00 to 08:00 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leisure facilities , have to remain closed on weekends and holidays .

SIMFEROPOL, December 9. /TASS/. The novel coronavirus infection has been detected in 278 individuals in the Republic of Crimea over the past 24 hours, record highs since the beginning of the pandemic have been documented for five days in a row, Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov reported on his VKontakte page on Wednesday.
"On December 8, in the territory of the Republic of Crimea 278 cases of the coronavirus infection were registered, including 22 symptomless cases. Out of the total number of infections, 215 were detected after seeking medical assistance, 63 - among the contacts of the cases recorded previously," the Crimean leader wrote.
According to him, over the past 24 hours, 4,001 people have been screened in all laboratories in the republic performing tests for the presence of the novel coronavirus infection. The total number of recoveries over the entire period has reached 13,500.
In all, since the beginning of the pandemic in the region, over 17,500 cases of the coronavirus have been recorded. An increase in the number of infections in Crimea began in October with a record daily high of 255 infections. In December this value continued to grow: 261 infections were registered on December 4, 263 - on December 5, 271 infections - on December 6, and 274 infections were recorded on December 7. Figures below 200 daily infections were detected for the last time on November 23 with 184 infections registered.
Crimea’s Health Minister Alexander Ostapenko reported on Tuesday that the first batch of 500 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine has arrived in the region, inoculation will begin on December 12. Medics will be the first ones to be vaccinated, then the employees of services working with the infected will be inoculated. A mass vaccination will begin no earlier than January, as the Crimean leader reported earlier.
Due to the spread of the coronavirus, from December 20 through January 15, the republic introduced restrictions on office parties, banquets, celebrations, and New Year’s Eve festivities, including the premises of hotels, spas, and resorts. During the same period entertainment establishments have to remain closed from 22:00 to 08:00. Entertainment centers, including children’s leisure facilities, have to remain closed on weekends and holidays.


tass--2020-12-09--Fire breaks out at oil well in Russia’s Orenburg Region

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
A jet fire at an oil well is underway at the Tallinskoe-2 field in the Orenburg Region , the press service of Russia 's Emergencies Ministry told TASS on Wednesday .
`` A jet fire of a gas flow at an underground well is underway on the area of 100 square meters , the height of the jet is 25 meters , '' the press service said , adding that the fire was assigned a second ( elevated ) grade of complexity .
The Emergencies Ministry noted that in order to control the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on state environmental supervision of the Orenburg Regional Environmental Service was deployed to the site .
50 people and 14 units of technical equipment are engaged in extinguishing the fire .
The fire does not represent a threat to local residents , head of the Grachevsky District Oleg Sviridov who arrived at the site told TASS .
`` There is no danger , everybody is far away from here .
< ... > The residential area is far away , '' he said , adding that employees left the field .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers was performing exploratory drilling .
The company ’ s representatives haven ’ t arrived yet , the district head specified .
Specialized teams on extinguishing such fires are heading to the site from Orenburg and Buguruslan since using water is not effective , he added .
The information of the fire at the Tallinskoe-2 field oil well was received at 05:00 Moscow time .
One person was injured in the fire .
As the main directorate of the Emergencies Ministry specified , he sustained burns of 3 % of his hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Grachevsky District hospital .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. A jet fire at an oil well is underway at the Tallinskoe-2 field in the Orenburg Region, the press service of Russia's Emergencies Ministry told TASS on Wednesday.
"A jet fire of a gas flow at an underground well is underway on the area of 100 square meters, the height of the jet is 25 meters," the press service said, adding that the fire was assigned a second (elevated) grade of complexity.
The Emergencies Ministry noted that in order to control the environmental situation, the Buzuluk specialized laboratory on state environmental supervision of the Orenburg Regional Environmental Service was deployed to the site. 50 people and 14 units of technical equipment are engaged in extinguishing the fire.
The fire does not represent a threat to local residents, head of the Grachevsky District Oleg Sviridov who arrived at the site told TASS. "There is no danger, everybody is far away from here. <...> The residential area is far away," he said, adding that employees left the field.
According to the preliminary data, a crew of workers was performing exploratory drilling. The company’s representatives haven’t arrived yet, the district head specified. Specialized teams on extinguishing such fires are heading to the site from Orenburg and Buguruslan since using water is not effective, he added.
The information of the fire at the Tallinskoe-2 field oil well was received at 05:00 Moscow time. One person was injured in the fire. As the main directorate of the Emergencies Ministry specified, he sustained burns of 3% of his hands and was taken to the surgical department of the Grachevsky District hospital.


tass--2020-12-09--BRI 2020 Goes Virtual to Connect Indonesia's Leading MSMEs with International Buyers

JAKARTA , Indonesia , Dec. 9 .
/PRNewswire/ .
Bank Rakyat Indonesia ( BRI ) is to hold the second annual BRI UMKM EXPO [ RT ] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 at the Jakarta Convention Center , December 10-13 , 2020 .
The virtual , which provides selected MSMEs with a platform to meet the world , started on December 1 , 2020 .
Registrations are now open until December 13 , 2020 .
Being the first of its kind , BRI UMKM EXPO [ RT ] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 platform introduces the virtual `` Business Matching '' program , providing businesses with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more than 50 prospective buyers from North America , Middle East , Europe & Asia .
Participants can also teleport into a 3D virtual tour with 360-degree navigation while participating in live-stream talk shows and coaching clinics conducted by government Ministers and prominent industry figures .
Initially a measure taken in response to the pandemic , virtual events have since grown to have a more profound impact on the way people do business .
As discovered by a survey by Northstar Meeting Group , which found that people view virtual events as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with customers .
With all things considered , BRI UMKM EXPO [ RT ] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 therefore is an ideal platform for MSMEs to overcome the challenges COVID-19 .
`` We aim to connect potential buyers around the world with Indonesia 's finest MSMEs in a virtual business ecosystem .
The Business Matching Program provides a cost-efficient scheme for buyers to interact with business owners and book private meetings , making it convenient for both parties to do transactions during the event , '' said Sunarso , President Director of BRI , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , over 400 MSMEs will showcase their finest products in four categories : Fashion , Accessories & Beauty , Home Decor & Craft , and Food & Beverage .
`` Through the virtual ecosystem , we hope to stimulate MSMEs ' contribution to Indonesia 's economy and boost exports .
We are confident that the virtual event will help business owners familiarise themselves with a digital ecosystem and acclimatize to shifting paradigms of business , '' added Sunarso .
To join the virtual exhibition , potential buyers can now register online here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide a prior to the event .
For further details about the event and registration , please visit www.brilianpreneur.com

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec. 9. /PRNewswire/. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) is to hold the second annual BRI UMKM EXPO[RT] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 at the Jakarta Convention Center, December 10-13, 2020. The virtual, which provides selected MSMEs with a platform to meet the world, started on December 1, 2020. Registrations are now open until December 13, 2020.
Being the first of its kind, BRI UMKM EXPO[RT] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 platform introduces the virtual "Business Matching" program, providing businesses with a real-time chatting feature, connecting MSME with more than 50 prospective buyers from North America, Middle East, Europe & Asia. Participants can also teleport into a 3D virtual tour with 360-degree navigation while participating in live-stream talk shows and coaching clinics conducted by government Ministers and prominent industry figures.
Initially a measure taken in response to the pandemic, virtual events have since grown to have a more profound impact on the way people do business. As discovered by a survey by Northstar Meeting Group, which found that people view virtual events as an important tool for businesses to connect with customers. With all things considered, BRI UMKM EXPO[RT] BRILIANPRENEUR 2020 therefore is an ideal platform for MSMEs to overcome the challenges COVID-19.
"We aim to connect potential buyers around the world with Indonesia's finest MSMEs in a virtual business ecosystem. The Business Matching Program provides a cost-efficient scheme for buyers to interact with business owners and book private meetings, making it convenient for both parties to do transactions during the event," said Sunarso, President Director of BRI, the largest state-owned bank in Indonesia.
This year, over 400 MSMEs will showcase their finest products in four categories: Fashion, Accessories & Beauty, Home Decor & Craft, and Food & Beverage.
"Through the virtual ecosystem, we hope to stimulate MSMEs' contribution to Indonesia's economy and boost exports. We are confident that the virtual event will help business owners familiarise themselves with a digital ecosystem and acclimatize to shifting paradigms of business," added Sunarso.
To join the virtual exhibition, potential buyers can now register online here and download the catalogue if you can provide a prior to the event.
For further details about the event and registration, please visit www.brilianpreneur.com
CONTACT: Aestika Oryza Gunarto, Corporate Secretary, +62-21-575-1966, humas@bri.co.id


tass--2020-12-09--Adyen to partner with Hungry Jack's to improve its customer service

AMSTERDAM , Dec. 8 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Adyen ( AMS : ADYEN ) , the global payments platform of choice for many of the world 's leading companies , today announced it has partnered with Hungry Jack 's , the Australia-based quick-service restaurant , to improve its point-of-sale ( POS ) terminal fleet and help unify its in-store and ecommerce channels – driving cost savings , while improving revenues and customer experience .
`` Adyen 's POS offering has had a significant impact on the business .
The last thing you want is your payment system failing on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows for quick , seamless customer experiences , and thus improves our turnover , '' said Hungry Jack 's CIO Bruce Nolte .
`` We want to make it as easy as possible to pay and focus on having a preferred option for everybody across channels .
Integrating to the Adyen platform has unlocked this for us .
Furthermore , Adyen 's unified commerce solution enabled us to utilize online , delivery , and drive-through options while the dining room was closed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , '' Nolte concluded .
`` Offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – especially during peak service times and for drive-through and delivery , '' said Michel von Aalten , Adyen Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand .
`` We 're excited by the results Hungry Jack 's has already achieved and look forward to supporting them further on their unified commerce journey . ''
Hungry Jack 's has been the home of the famous flame-grilled Whopper in Australia for almost 50 years .
Australians enjoy visiting Hungry Jack 's network of more than 440 restaurants nationwide for great tasting , fresh food .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ beef burgers , the plant-based range , the succulent chicken menu items , brekky wraps or the barista made coffee , Hungry Jack 's is the destination for classic favorites , innovative new menu items and that famous flame grilled smoky BBQ flavor .
To learn more about Hungry Jack 's , please visit www.hungryjacks.com.au or follow us on Facebook and Twitter .
Adyen ( AMS : ADYEN ) is the payments platform of choice for many of the world 's leading companies , providing a modern end-to-end infrastructure connecting directly to Visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preferred payment methods .
Adyen delivers frictionless payments across online , mobile , and in-store channels .
With offices across the world , Adyen serves customers including Facebook , Uber , Spotify , Microsoft , Singapore Airlines , and L'Oréal .
The cooperation with Hungry Jack 's as described in this merchant update underlines Adyen 's continuous growth with current and new merchants over the years .

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Adyen (AMS: ADYEN), the global payments platform of choice for many of the world's leading companies, today announced it has partnered with Hungry Jack's, the Australia-based quick-service restaurant, to improve its point-of-sale (POS) terminal fleet and help unify its in-store and ecommerce channels – driving cost savings, while improving revenues and customer experience.
"Adyen's POS offering has had a significant impact on the business. The last thing you want is your payment system failing on a busy night. A reliable payments set-up allows for quick, seamless customer experiences, and thus improves our turnover," said Hungry Jack's CIO Bruce Nolte. "We want to make it as easy as possible to pay and focus on having a preferred option for everybody across channels. Integrating to the Adyen platform has unlocked this for us. Furthermore, Adyen's unified commerce solution enabled us to utilize online, delivery, and drive-through options while the dining room was closed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic," Nolte concluded.
"Offering smooth customer experiences are crucial for QSRs – especially during peak service times and for drive-through and delivery," said Michel von Aalten, Adyen Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand. "We're excited by the results Hungry Jack's has already achieved and look forward to supporting them further on their unified commerce journey."
About Hungry Jack's
Hungry Jack's has been the home of the famous flame-grilled Whopper in Australia for almost 50 years. Australians enjoy visiting Hungry Jack's network of more than 440 restaurants nationwide for great tasting, fresh food. From delicious flame grilled 100% Aussie beef burgers, the plant-based range, the succulent chicken menu items, brekky wraps or the barista made coffee, Hungry Jack's is the destination for classic favorites, innovative new menu items and that famous flame grilled smoky BBQ flavor. To learn more about Hungry Jack's, please visit www.hungryjacks.com.au or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Adyen
Adyen (AMS: ADYEN) is the payments platform of choice for many of the world's leading companies, providing a modern end-to-end infrastructure connecting directly to Visa, Mastercard, and consumers' globally preferred payment methods. Adyen delivers frictionless payments across online, mobile, and in-store channels. With offices across the world, Adyen serves customers including Facebook, Uber, Spotify, Microsoft, Singapore Airlines, and L'Oréal. The cooperation with Hungry Jack's as described in this merchant update underlines Adyen's continuous growth with current and new merchants over the years.
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/432569/Adyen_Logo.jpg
CONTACT: press@adyen.com


tass--2020-12-09--Almost 4 mln people contract coronavirus worldwide in past week — WHO

GENEVA , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The number of novel coronavirus cases registered all over the world increased by almost four million in the past week , which is slightly more than during the previous seven-day period , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said early on Wednesday .
According to the global organization ’ s data , a total of 3,970,427 novel coronavirus cases and 73,396 fatalities were registered worldwide between November 30 and December 6 .
During the previous seven-day period ( November 23-29 ) , 3,935,330 cases of the novel coronavirus and 69,916 deaths were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nearly half of all cases .
Infection rate remains high in Europe as well , but mortality has been on decline in the region for the second consecutive week .
Over 1.84 million new cases and over 28,000 deaths registered between November 30 and December 6 in North and South America .
About 1.45 million cases and over 19,000 deaths were registered in Europe in the reported period .
Southeast Asia accounts for over 332,000 cases and some 5,000 deaths .
The case count increased by more than 1.25 million in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brazil , by over 251,000 in India , by over 191,000 in Russia , by over 145,000 in Italy , and by over 128,000 in Germany in the past seven days .
The infection has also been spreading rapidly the United Kingdom ( over 100,000 new cases ) , Iran ( 93,000 ) and Poland ( over 80,000 ) .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

GENEVA, December 9. /TASS/. The number of novel coronavirus cases registered all over the world increased by almost four million in the past week, which is slightly more than during the previous seven-day period, the World Health Organization (WHO) said early on Wednesday.
According to the global organization’s data, a total of 3,970,427 novel coronavirus cases and 73,396 fatalities were registered worldwide between November 30 and December 6. During the previous seven-day period (November 23-29), 3,935,330 cases of the novel coronavirus and 69,916 deaths were reported.
North and South America account for nearly half of all cases. Infection rate remains high in Europe as well, but mortality has been on decline in the region for the second consecutive week.
Over 1.84 million new cases and over 28,000 deaths registered between November 30 and December 6 in North and South America. About 1.45 million cases and over 19,000 deaths were registered in Europe in the reported period. Southeast Asia accounts for over 332,000 cases and some 5,000 deaths.
The case count increased by more than 1.25 million in the United States, by more than 295,000 in Brazil, by over 251,000 in India, by over 191,000 in Russia, by over 145,000 in Italy, and by over 128,000 in Germany in the past seven days.
The infection has also been spreading rapidly the United Kingdom (over 100,000 new cases), Iran (93,000) and Poland (over 80,000).
In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed 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.


tass--2020-12-09--Expert sees no grounds for negative coronavirus scenario in Russia

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
A Russian expert sees no reason for making pessimistic forecasts about the novel coronavirus in Russia , because no snowballing growth in cases has been registered in the country so far .
Novel coronavirus can hardly be totally eliminated , says expert '' Although the epidemiological process continues to gain momentum , as demonstrated by the peak figures , there are no grounds for making pessimistic forecasts , because no exponential growth has been observed so far , '' said Alexander Gorelov , a deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases during the winter season was expected , because weather conditions can aggravate the epidemiological process .
`` However , we expect gradual stabilization to begin in coming weeks if all recommended measures are observed , '' the expert added .
According to him , the number of coronavirus cases will continue to grow because more and more people are being tested for the infection .
To date , 2,515,009 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 1,981,526 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. A Russian expert sees no reason for making pessimistic forecasts about the novel coronavirus in Russia, because no snowballing growth in cases has been registered in the country so far.
Novel coronavirus can hardly be totally eliminated, says expert
"Although the epidemiological process continues to gain momentum, as demonstrated by the peak figures, there are no grounds for making pessimistic forecasts, because no exponential growth has been observed so far," said Alexander Gorelov, a deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology.
Gorelov said the rise in new cases during the winter season was expected, because weather conditions can aggravate the epidemiological process.
"However, we expect gradual stabilization to begin in coming weeks if all recommended measures are observed," the expert added.
According to him, the number of coronavirus cases will continue to grow because more and more people are being tested for the infection.
To date, 2,515,009 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,981,526 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 44,159 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-12-09--Russia’s Kazan nuclear sub to complete state trials this year — fleet commander

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s latest nuclear-powered submarine Kazan will complete all state trials by the end of the year , Northern Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday .
`` State trials of the Kazan nuclear submarine , which is to enter service with the [ Northern ] fleet , are scheduled for completion by year-end , '' he said .
The vice admiral said the Northern Fleet has been receiving numerous fourth-generation warships and submarines .
`` This year alone , the Knyaz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] and the first serial Project 22350 frigate Admiral Kasatonov joined the Northern Fleet ’ s ranks , '' Moiseyev said .
The Project 885M lead nuclear-powered submarine Kazan was laid down on July 24 , 2009 and floated out on March 31 , 2017 .
The sub is currently at the stage of trials .
The Project 885 and 885M nuclear-powered subs carry Kalibr-PL and/or Oniks cruise missiles as their basic armament .
Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev also said that the Northern Fleet is expected to receive another Project 22350 frigate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 .
`` In May 2020 , another Project 22350 frigate , Admiral Golovko , was floated out at the St. Petersburg-based Northern Shipyard ( Severnaya Verf ) .
It is expected to join the fleet by the end of 2021 and become the third frigate of its class , '' the official said .
The Admiral Golovko is the third Project 22350 frigate and the second serially produced warship of its class .
The Admiral Gorshkov lead ship was delivered to the Navy in 2018 .
The first serial frigate Admiral Kasatonov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Both of them are in service with the Northern Fleet .
The frigate ’ s main weapons are two versatile launchers for the Kalibr-NK ( NATO reporting name : SS-N-27 Sizzler ) and Oniks ( SS-N-26 Strobile ) cruise missiles .
Five more frigates of project 22350 are at various stages of completion at the Northern Shipyard , including the Admiral Isakov , the Admiral Amelko and the Admiral Chichagov frigates .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia’s latest nuclear-powered submarine Kazan will complete all state trials by the end of the year, Northern Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday.
"State trials of the Kazan nuclear submarine, which is to enter service with the [Northern] fleet, are scheduled for completion by year-end," he said.
The vice admiral said the Northern Fleet has been receiving numerous fourth-generation warships and submarines.
"This year alone, the Knyaz Vladimir Borey-A-class ballistic missile submarine [SSBN] and the first serial Project 22350 frigate Admiral Kasatonov joined the Northern Fleet’s ranks," Moiseyev said.
The Project 885M lead nuclear-powered submarine Kazan was laid down on July 24, 2009 and floated out on March 31, 2017. The sub is currently at the stage of trials. The Project 885 and 885M nuclear-powered subs carry Kalibr-PL and/or Oniks cruise missiles as their basic armament.
Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev also said that the Northern Fleet is expected to receive another Project 22350 frigate, Admiral Golovko, by the end of 2021.
"In May 2020, another Project 22350 frigate, Admiral Golovko, was floated out at the St. Petersburg-based Northern Shipyard (Severnaya Verf). It is expected to join the fleet by the end of 2021 and become the third frigate of its class," the official said.
The Admiral Golovko is the third Project 22350 frigate and the second serially produced warship of its class.
The Admiral Gorshkov lead ship was delivered to the Navy in 2018. The first serial frigate Admiral Kasatonov was made operational with the Navy in 2020. Both of them are in service with the Northern Fleet.
The frigate’s main weapons are two versatile launchers for the Kalibr-NK (NATO reporting name: SS-N-27 Sizzler) and Oniks (SS-N-26 Strobile) cruise missiles.
Five more frigates of project 22350 are at various stages of completion at the Northern Shipyard, including the Admiral Isakov, the Admiral Amelko and the Admiral Chichagov frigates.


tass--2020-12-09--Russia’s Uran-9 robotic combat system to complete trials in 2020

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The state trials of Russia ’ s Uran-9 tracked unmanned combat ground vehicle @ @ @ @ @ completed this year , Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army Gen. Oleg Salyukov said in an interview @ @ @ @ @ published on Wednesday .
`` State trials of the Uran-9 UCGV will be completed this @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the official , various robotic platforms are currently in development in Russia @ @ @ @ @ work to create heavy and medium-class unmanned ground combat vehicles ( Shturm and Soratnik ) @ @ @ @ @ aim of creating advanced units of the ground forces , '' Salyukov said .
The @ @ @ @ @ for reconnaissance , fire support and anti-tank missions .
It is equipped with a 30-mm @ @ @ @ @ machine gun , a Shmel-M rocket-assisted flamethrower and an Ataka anti-tank guided missile launcher .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. The state trials of Russia’s Uran-9 tracked unmanned combat ground vehicle (UCGV) will be completed this year, Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army Gen. Oleg Salyukov said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zverda newspaper published on Wednesday.
"State trials of the Uran-9 UCGV will be completed this year," he said.
According to the official, various robotic platforms are currently in development in Russia.
"Simultaneously, the work to create heavy and medium-class unmanned ground combat vehicles (Shturm and Soratnik) are under way with the aim of creating advanced units of the ground forces," Salyukov said.
The 12-tonne Uran-9 UCGV is designed for reconnaissance, fire support and anti-tank missions. It is equipped with a 30-mm 2A42 autocannon, a 7.62-mm machine gun, a Shmel-M rocket-assisted flamethrower and an Ataka anti-tank guided missile launcher.


tass--2020-12-09--Russian ground forces receive over 2,500 new pieces of armament in 2020

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s Ground Forces received more than 2,500 new pieces of armament and military hardware this year , Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army Gen. Oleg Salyukov said .
`` In order to increase combat performance and renew the equipment in 2020 , military units of Russia ’ s Ground Forces received over 2,500 pieces of new standard weaponry , as well as military and special hardware , '' Salyukov said in an interview with the Defense Ministry ’ s Krasnaya Zverda newspaper published on Wednesday .
In his words , units of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air defense systems , Verba fourth-generation infrared homing surface-to-air missile MANPADS ( man-portable air defense systems ) and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems ( MLRS ) - the longest-range and the most powerful MLRS weapon in the world with improved range and accuracy .
`` Artillery units receive Tornado-G MLRS and Msta-SM self-propelled howitzers with a new automatic fire control system .
Anti-tank units got the Khrizantema-SP anti-tank missile system with a unique capacity of penetrating the armor of all modern tanks in any weather conditions , '' the Ground Forces commander-in-chief said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems and unmanned aerial vehicles , as well as Taifun-K ( Typhoon K ) family of 4x4 light armored vehicles .
`` Tank crews and motorized infantry units receive modern T-72B3M and T-80BVM tanks , BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles , modernized BMP-2 vehicles with the Berezhok combat module and the BTR-82A wheeled armoured personnel carrier , '' the Russian general added .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia’s Ground Forces received more than 2,500 new pieces of armament and military hardware this year, Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army Gen. Oleg Salyukov said.
"In order to increase combat performance and renew the equipment in 2020, military units of Russia’s Ground Forces received over 2,500 pieces of new standard weaponry, as well as military and special hardware," Salyukov said in an interview with the Defense Ministry’s Krasnaya Zverda newspaper published on Wednesday.
In his words, units of the Russian Ground Forces received advanced Buk-M3 medium-range air defense systems, Verba fourth-generation infrared homing surface-to-air missile MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems) and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) - the longest-range and the most powerful MLRS weapon in the world with improved range and accuracy.
"Artillery units receive Tornado-G MLRS and Msta-SM self-propelled howitzers with a new automatic fire control system. Anti-tank units got the Khrizantema-SP anti-tank missile system with a unique capacity of penetrating the armor of all modern tanks in any weather conditions," the Ground Forces commander-in-chief said.
Reconnaissance teams received Strelets combined-arms reconnaissance systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Taifun-K (Typhoon K) family of 4x4 light armored vehicles.
"Tank crews and motorized infantry units receive modern T-72B3M and T-80BVM tanks, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, modernized BMP-2 vehicles with the Berezhok combat module and the BTR-82A wheeled armoured personnel carrier," the Russian general added.


tass--2020-12-09--Maduro says Colombia plotted attempt on his life on election day

BOGOTA , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told reporters in Caracas that an assassination attempt on him , organized by the authorities of Colombia , had been plotted on the day of the parliamentary election in his country .
`` A reliable source in the Colombian intelligence reported that an election day assassination attempt on me was being plotted .
< ... > [ Colombian President ] Ivan Duque played a role in the plans to organize my assassination , '' Maduro said in a specch , broadcast by the Telesur TV channel .
The Venezuelan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling station where he cast his ballot as a precaution .
Parliamentary polls were held in Venezuela on December 6 to elect 277 lawmakers of the unicameral National Assembly .
With 82 % of ballots counted , the Great Patriotic Pole coalition led by the presidential United Socialist Party of Venezuela is winning 67.6 % of votes .
The Democratic Alliance of the moderate opposition is second with 17.95 % of ballots .
A large number of opponents of the current government , who are currently controlling the parliament , including opposition leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the polls .
They had voiced doubt over the election results before they were announced .

BOGOTA, December 9. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told reporters in Caracas that an assassination attempt on him, organized by the authorities of Colombia, had been plotted on the day of the parliamentary election in his country.
"A reliable source in the Colombian intelligence reported that an election day assassination attempt on me was being plotted. <...> [Colombian President] Ivan Duque played a role in the plans to organize my assassination," Maduro said in a specch, broadcast by the Telesur TV channel.
The Venezuelan leader said he had to change the polling station where he cast his ballot as a precaution.
Parliamentary polls were held in Venezuela on December 6 to elect 277 lawmakers of the unicameral National Assembly. With 82% of ballots counted, the Great Patriotic Pole coalition led by the presidential United Socialist Party of Venezuela is winning 67.6% of votes. The Democratic Alliance of the moderate opposition is second with 17.95% of ballots. A large number of opponents of the current government, who are currently controlling the parliament, including opposition leader Juan Guaido, refused to take part in the polls. They had voiced doubt over the election results before they were announced.


tass--2020-12-08--Huawei Announces Case Study Demonstrating How Artificial Intelligence Saves Time and Lives

SHANGHAI , December 8 .
/PRNewswire/ .
Huawei Technologies , focused on the development of superb computing power and AI capacities , announced its case study of YITU Healthcare 's use of the Huawei Atlas series to provide solutions for speedy and precise diagnoses .
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , YITU Healthcare , a leading firm in the imaging sector , is providing an Automatic Evaluation System for chest CT scans for the disease .
Different from the traditional manual evaluation process that usually takes two to three hours , the automatic system can analyze and classify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can automatically compare a patient 's historical and current records and is highly consistent with doctors ' diagnosis .
For lung cancer screening , YITU Healthcare offers the care.ai® Intelligent 4D Imaging System for Chest CT scans .
It comes with authoritative evidence-based clinical guidelines , as a vast volume of RWE- based training data .
It not only detects lesions but also further suggests its malignancy score and assesses its progression .
A similar system – one that supports multiple standards – is applied for evaluation of children 's bone age , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds .
It is now commonly used for children 's bone age assessment within a condensed timeframe : less than five minutes for X-ray , evaluation and reporting .
All these solutions require tremendous computing power to provide accurate and timely analysis .
This is made possible by Huawei 's Atlas series , which supports a wide range of medical scenarios that usually demand huge computing power for the best results .
The Atlas series covers device , edge , to cloud computing settings .
The core of the intelligent healthcare solution for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ card and Atlas 800 AI inference server .
The solution provides the computing power for image and video analysis , shortening CT scan analysis to just two minutes , with an accuracy of over 98 percent .
The Atlas 300I card boasts around 33 percent more computing power with double the number of full-HD video channels than some available products in the market .
Meanwhile , the Atlas 800 server comes with two Kunpeng 920 processors , 32 DD4 DIMM slots supporting up to 2,933 MT/s plus as many as eight Atlas 300I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels for intelligent video analytics .
It is a powerful server setting that works best for real-time inference that demands high efficiency with low power consumption .
Pairing up with the digital vision pre-processing ( DVPP ) engine of Atlas 300I , the Atlas 800 server performs remarkably for real-time encoding/decoding and inference of up to 512 video streams .
The innovative use of resources – computing power up to 512 TOPS at INT8 – allows not just much faster diagnosis but also a vast boost in accuracy thanks to the improved recognition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and performs perfectly well with FlexIO cards and standard iNICs with storage of enormous capacity , which makes the system reliable and secure .
`` Healthcare is once again under the spotlight , given the current global situation .
Medical science has undoubtedly improved rapidly , extending life expectancy across the globe .
Automation is among the most crucial tech breakthroughs in the sector , with Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) emerging as a powerful tool for medical success , '' said Tony Xu , President of Huawei Ascend Computing Business .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people expect robots to take over from doctors and nurses , rendering people obsolete .
Patients might place trust in machines – rather than doctors – to make difficult decisions .
However , AI is not replacing doctors .
It is instead helping them improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency .
AI does its work by accessing substantial datasets of potentially life-saving information , such as treatment methods and their outcomes , and other data like survival rates , etc .
Therefore , incorporating AI into clinical workflows helps streamline medical procedures for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key area that requires an upgrade with the support of AI .
Primary medical imaging represents tremendous potential for growth due to its increasing demand .
With the help of AI , imaging services get a significant boost in resolving supply and demand discrepancies among current medical services .
In some countries , as many as two-thirds of primary hospitals serve as few as twenty percent of patients requiring diagnosis and treatment , while a small percentage of lower-tier medical institutions is where more than one-third of patients seek medical services .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowers primary medical care , which further alleviates the imbalance between supply and demand of existing medical services .
With the increasingly alarming shortage of radiologists in primary medical institutions , this development could n't have come sooner .
A further observation in medical imaging is the marriage between hardware and software .
Simply put , an AI algorithm works with hardware to boost intelligence density and lower the cost of building up the system .
The demand for computing , meanwhile , will keep going up to meet the AI requirements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For AI to work effectively , it takes both software and hardware to work together - they go hand in glove .
And so with the power of AI , the application of imaging is brought to another level , where radiologists play more significant roles in the clinical decision-making process .
Intelligent diagnosis systems are now used in chest examinations , mammography 's , and for pediatric growth and development , allowing radiologists to participate more in giving advice upon receipt of results .
For more information , please visit here @ @ @ @ @ @

SHANGHAI, December 8. /PRNewswire/. Huawei Technologies, focused on the development of superb computing power and AI capacities, announced its case study of YITU Healthcare's use of the Huawei Atlas series to provide solutions for speedy and precise diagnoses.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, YITU Healthcare, a leading firm in the imaging sector, is providing an Automatic Evaluation System for chest CT scans for the disease. Different from the traditional manual evaluation process that usually takes two to three hours, the automatic system can analyze and classify pneumonia severity within three seconds. It can automatically compare a patient's historical and current records and is highly consistent with doctors' diagnosis.
For lung cancer screening, YITU Healthcare offers the care.ai® Intelligent 4D Imaging System for Chest CT scans. It comes with authoritative evidence-based clinical guidelines, as a vast volume of RWE- based training data. It not only detects lesions but also further suggests its malignancy score and assesses its progression.
A similar system – one that supports multiple standards – is applied for evaluation of children's bone age, where a diagnosis can be made within seconds. It is now commonly used for children's bone age assessment within a condensed timeframe: less than five minutes for X-ray, evaluation and reporting.
Huawei Atlas series represents a powerful AI computing platform
All these solutions require tremendous computing power to provide accurate and timely analysis. This is made possible by Huawei's Atlas series, which supports a wide range of medical scenarios that usually demand huge computing power for the best results.
The Atlas series covers device, edge, to cloud computing settings. The core of the intelligent healthcare solution for YITU is the Atlas 300I AI inference card and Atlas 800 AI inference server. The solution provides the computing power for image and video analysis, shortening CT scan analysis to just two minutes, with an accuracy of over 98 percent. The Atlas 300I card boasts around 33 percent more computing power with double the number of full-HD video channels than some available products in the market.
Meanwhile, the Atlas 800 server comes with two Kunpeng 920 processors, 32 DD4 DIMM slots supporting up to 2,933 MT/s plus as many as eight Atlas 300I cards leading to a maximum of 640 channels for intelligent video analytics. It is a powerful server setting that works best for real-time inference that demands high efficiency with low power consumption. Pairing up with the digital vision pre-processing (DVPP) engine of Atlas 300I, the Atlas 800 server performs remarkably for real-time encoding/decoding and inference of up to 512 video streams.
The innovative use of resources – computing power up to 512 TOPS at INT8 – allows not just much faster diagnosis but also a vast boost in accuracy thanks to the improved recognition precision. It is highly flexible, and performs perfectly well with FlexIO cards and standard iNICs with storage of enormous capacity, which makes the system reliable and secure.
"Healthcare is once again under the spotlight, given the current global situation. Medical science has undoubtedly improved rapidly, extending life expectancy across the globe. Automation is among the most crucial tech breakthroughs in the sector, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerging as a powerful tool for medical success," said Tony Xu, President of Huawei Ascend Computing Business.
AI drives growth in medical imaging
There is a common myth in healthcare that many people expect robots to take over from doctors and nurses, rendering people obsolete. Patients might place trust in machines – rather than doctors – to make difficult decisions. However, AI is not replacing doctors. It is instead helping them improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. AI does its work by accessing substantial datasets of potentially life-saving information, such as treatment methods and their outcomes, and other data like survival rates, etc.
Therefore, incorporating AI into clinical workflows helps streamline medical procedures for doctors. Medical imaging analysis is one key area that requires an upgrade with the support of AI. Primary medical imaging represents tremendous potential for growth due to its increasing demand. With the help of AI, imaging services get a significant boost in resolving supply and demand discrepancies among current medical services.
In some countries, as many as two-thirds of primary hospitals serve as few as twenty percent of patients requiring diagnosis and treatment, while a small percentage of lower-tier medical institutions is where more than one-third of patients seek medical services. This resource mismatch represents another trend – AI empowers primary medical care, which further alleviates the imbalance between supply and demand of existing medical services. With the increasingly alarming shortage of radiologists in primary medical institutions, this development couldn't have come sooner.
A further observation in medical imaging is the marriage between hardware and software. Simply put, an AI algorithm works with hardware to boost intelligence density and lower the cost of building up the system. The demand for computing, meanwhile, will keep going up to meet the AI requirements for various scenarios in the new digital era. For AI to work effectively, it takes both software and hardware to work together - they go hand in glove.
And so with the power of AI, the application of imaging is brought to another level, where radiologists play more significant roles in the clinical decision-making process. Intelligent diagnosis systems are now used in chest examinations, mammography's, and for pediatric growth and development, allowing radiologists to participate more in giving advice upon receipt of results.
For more information, please visit here.
Email: enterpriseweb@huawei.com
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1360897/Huawei.jpg
CONTACT: Pearl Peng, pearl.peng@huawei.com


tass--2020-12-10--Buryatia emergencies department says Baikal quake magnitude was 5.5

MOSCOW , December 10 .
/TASS/ .
The magnitude of the earthquake that rocked Russia ’ s Lake Baikal on @ @ @ @ @ Russian emergencies ministry ’ s department for the republic of Buryatia said .
`` A @ @ @ @ @ of 5.5 was registered at 05:45 local time ( 00:45 Moscow time ) today in @ @ @ @ @ it said , adding that the quake ’ s epicenter was located in the Selenga @ @ @ @ @ of the settlement of Dubinino .
The ministry ’ s Irkutsk region department said earlier @ @ @ @ @ ’ s magnitude was 5.5 , with the intensity of 7.6 in the epicenter .
@ @ @ @ @ felt in the city of Irkutsk .
No damages or casualties were reported .

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The magnitude of the earthquake that rocked Russia’s Lake Baikal on Thursday was 5.5, the Russian emergencies ministry’s department for the republic of Buryatia said.
"A seismic event with a magnitude of 5.5 was registered at 05:45 local time (00:45 Moscow time) today in the Kabansky district," it said, adding that the quake’s epicenter was located in the Selenga River delta some 16 kilometers of the settlement of Dubinino.
The ministry’s Irkutsk region department said earlier on Thursday that the earthquake’s magnitude was 5.5, with the intensity of 7.6 in the epicenter.
Magnitude 5-6 earth tremors were felt in the city of Irkutsk. No damages or casualties were reported.


tass--2020-12-10--Russian foreign ministry criticizes human rights situation in Ukraine

MOSCOW , December 10 .
/TASS/ .
The human rights situation in Ukraine is far from being normal , with numerous infringements on people ’ s rights and freedoms and the authorities ’ unwillingness to address these problems , as follows from the Russian foreign ministry ’ s report on the human rights situation in Ukraine published on Wednesday .
The Russian foreign ministry points to the lack of any signs of improvement of the situation more than a year after the change of power in Ukraine .
`` Systemic violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms continue .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not observed .
Numerous cases of illegal detention , tortures , intimidation , brutal treatment used to make those detained plead guilty , '' the report says .
According to the Russian foreign ministry , persecution of political opponents , journalists and members of public organizations continues in Ukraine under a pretext of combating the so-called Russian aggression and separatism .
Moreover , radical nationalist structures are actively involved in this process .
`` The rights of internally displaced persons , the Russian-speaking population and national minorities are being restricted Persecution of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orthodox Church continues , '' the ministry notes .
Course towards support of nationalists Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has opted to continue his predecessor Pyotr Poroshenko ’ s course towards rewriting history , glorification of Nazism , and erasing the Soviet past .
It was reflected not only in rhetoric and legislative initiatives but also in direct support to far right organizations , thus creating conditions for propagation of racism , neo-Nazism and xenophobia .
Such policy creates threats to national minorities .
`` Human rights activists registered dozens of cases of intolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of alternative political views .
They are especially concerned over the illegal actions of members of radical nationalist organizations ( S14 , Right Sector , Traditions and Order , National Corps , OUN , etc. )
.
Their actions with the use of violence are practically ignored by law enforcement agencies .
The radicals make no secret of the fact that they coordinate their actions with the Ukrainian Security Council and the interior ministry , '' the report says .
Journalists in Ukraine are facing serious restrictions and growing pressure from the authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international structures had called on Kiev to ensure the right of free speech but to no avail .
The authorities interfere into media activities , practice censorship and block disloyal resources and television channels .
Journalists are faced with serious risks to their lives and health .
`` According to the latest data from the Physical Security Index of Journalists in Ukraine , as many as 56 cases of physical aggression against journalists were reported in the first nine months of 2020 , '' the document says .
Ukraine ’ s authorities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the southeast of the country .
People living in the zones of combat operations have serious problems with access to basic services , such as healthcare , water and heat supplies .
Apart from that , they face shortages of decent housing and the lack of mechanisms of legal protection and loss recovery .
No pensions and allowance are paid to people living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People ’ s Republics .
`` The biggest problem is that people living on these territories are required to regularly confirm their status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , they have to cross the so-called line of control and spend a lot of time in long queues .
Moreover , risks of possible escalation of hostilities are very high in these areas , '' the document notes .

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The human rights situation in Ukraine is far from being normal, with numerous infringements on people’s rights and freedoms and the authorities’ unwillingness to address these problems, as follows from the Russian foreign ministry’s report on the human rights situation in Ukraine published on Wednesday.
The Russian foreign ministry points to the lack of any signs of improvement of the situation more than a year after the change of power in Ukraine. "Systemic violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms continue. The right to freedom and personal inviolability is not observed. Numerous cases of illegal detention, tortures, intimidation, brutal treatment used to make those detained plead guilty," the report says.
According to the Russian foreign ministry, persecution of political opponents, journalists and members of public organizations continues in Ukraine under a pretext of combating the so-called Russian aggression and separatism. Moreover, radical nationalist structures are actively involved in this process. "The rights of internally displaced persons, the Russian-speaking population and national minorities are being restricted Persecution of the clergy and parishioners of the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues," the ministry notes.
Course towards support of nationalists
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has opted to continue his predecessor Pyotr Poroshenko’s course towards rewriting history, glorification of Nazism, and erasing the Soviet past. It was reflected not only in rhetoric and legislative initiatives but also in direct support to far right organizations, thus creating conditions for propagation of racism, neo-Nazism and xenophobia.
Such policy creates threats to national minorities. "Human rights activists registered dozens of cases of intolerance and/or aggression against national minorities or people of alternative political views. They are especially concerned over the illegal actions of members of radical nationalist organizations (S14, Right Sector, Traditions and Order, National Corps, OUN, etc.). Their actions with the use of violence are practically ignored by law enforcement agencies. The radicals make no secret of the fact that they coordinate their actions with the Ukrainian Security Council and the interior ministry," the report says.
Situation with the mass media
Journalists in Ukraine are facing serious restrictions and growing pressure from the authorities. The Russian foreign ministry noted that international structures had called on Kiev to ensure the right of free speech but to no avail. The authorities interfere into media activities, practice censorship and block disloyal resources and television channels. Journalists are faced with serious risks to their lives and health.
"According to the latest data from the Physical Security Index of Journalists in Ukraine, as many as 56 cases of physical aggression against journalists were reported in the first nine months of 2020," the document says.
Humanitarian problems in Donbass
Ukraine’s authorities are doing nothing to resolve aggravating humanitarian problems in the southeast of the country. People living in the zones of combat operations have serious problems with access to basic services, such as healthcare, water and heat supplies. Apart from that, they face shortages of decent housing and the lack of mechanisms of legal protection and loss recovery. No pensions and allowance are paid to people living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
"The biggest problem is that people living on these territories are required to regularly confirm their status on the Kiev-controlled territory. To do that, they have to cross the so-called line of control and spend a lot of time in long queues. Moreover, risks of possible escalation of hostilities are very high in these areas," the document notes.


tass--2020-12-10--Magnitude 5.5 earthquake rocks Lake Baikal

IRKUTSK , December 10 .
/TASS/ .
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake rocked Lake Baikal , with earth tremors being felt @ @ @ @ @ , the press service of the Russian emergencies ministry ’ s Irkutsk region department said @ @ @ @ @ seismic event was registered in the Irkutsk region at 05:45 local time ( 00:45 Moscow @ @ @ @ @ earthquake intensity at the epicenter was 7.6 points , and 5-6 points in Irkutsk .
@ @ @ @ @ the energy class - 14.0 , '' it said .
According to the emergencies agencies @ @ @ @ @ in Lake Baikal in the Republic of Buryatia .

IRKUTSK, December 10. /TASS/. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake rocked Lake Baikal, with earth tremors being felt ion the city of Irkutsk, the press service of the Russian emergencies ministry’s Irkutsk region department said on Thursday.
"A seismic event was registered in the Irkutsk region at 05:45 local time (00:45 Moscow time) today. The earthquake intensity at the epicenter was 7.6 points, and 5-6 points in Irkutsk. The magnitude was 5.5 and the energy class - 14.0," it said.
According to the emergencies agencies, the epicenter was located in Lake Baikal in the Republic of Buryatia.


tass--2020-12-10--Belarus bans exit via land border checkpoints due to coronavirus pandemic

MOSCOW , December 10 .
/TASS/ .
/TASS/ .
Belarus closes its land borders for those leaving the country amid the novel coronavirus pandemic , as follows from the government resolution of December 7 that was published on Thursday .
The document amends the April 8 resolution that was geared to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` To temporary suspend crossing of the Belarusian state border by Belarusian nationals and foreign holders of residence permits leaving Belarus , '' the resolution reads .
The restrictions are applicable at all land border checkpoints and are to come into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s signing .
Meanwhile , no restrictions are imposed for those entering the country .
However , they are obliged to `` stay in self-isolation for ten calendar days after entering Belarus . ''
Apart from that , foreign nationals older than six are required to have a medical document certifying a negative coronavirus status .
This requirement is not applicable to the holders of residence permits .
Belarus did not impose any coronavirus lockdowns , with mass gathering not being banned .
The authorities pledge that the country ’ s public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the epidemic .
However , people are requested to wear face masks in public places .
A vaccination campaign as part of post-registration tests of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine kicked off in Belarus from October 1 .
As of today , Belarus reports 152,452 confirmed coronavirus cases , or 1.6 % of the population , 129,950 recoveries , and 1,230 fatalities .

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. /TASS/. Belarus closes its land borders for those leaving the country amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, as follows from the government resolution of December 7 that was published on Thursday.
The document amends the April 8 resolution that was geared to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"To temporary suspend crossing of the Belarusian state border by Belarusian nationals and foreign holders of residence permits leaving Belarus," the resolution reads. The restrictions are applicable at all land border checkpoints and are to come into effect ten days after the document’s signing.
Meanwhile, no restrictions are imposed for those entering the country. However, they are obliged to "stay in self-isolation for ten calendar days after entering Belarus." Apart from that, foreign nationals older than six are required to have a medical document certifying a negative coronavirus status. This requirement is not applicable to the holders of residence permits.
Belarus did not impose any coronavirus lockdowns, with mass gathering not being banned. The authorities pledge that the country’s public health system is prepared for the second wave of the epidemic. However, people are requested to wear face masks in public places. A vaccination campaign as part of post-registration tests of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine kicked off in Belarus from October 1.
As of today, Belarus reports 152,452 confirmed coronavirus cases, or 1.6% of the population, 129,950 recoveries, and 1,230 fatalities.


tass--2020-12-10--Inflation in Russia will start to decline in mid-1H 2021, says Central Bank

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Inflation in Russia will begin to decline `` in the middle of the @ @ @ @ @ after passing local highs , according to the files of the research and forecasting department @ @ @ @ @ .
`` In November , annual inflation exceeded 4 % and is likely to begin @ @ @ @ @ middle of the first half of 2021 after passing local high values .
This is @ @ @ @ @ of a low base , '' the regulator ’ s experts say .
They added @ @ @ @ @ , since March 2020 , the effect of the weakening of the ruble has manifested @ @ @ @ @ `` in previous episodes . ''
Earlier , in an interview with Bloomberg head of @ @ @ @ @ reported that the regulator expects inflation in Russia to be at 4.5 % at the @ @ @ @ @ to her , in February the level of consumer prices may reach a peak , @ @ @ @ @ 5 % .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Inflation in Russia will begin to decline "in the middle of the first half of 2021" after passing local highs, according to the files of the research and forecasting department of the Bank of Russia.
"In November, annual inflation exceeded 4% and is likely to begin to decline only in the middle of the first half of 2021 after passing local high values. This is partly due to the effect of a low base," the regulator’s experts say.
They added that as for consumer prices, since March 2020, the effect of the weakening of the ruble has manifested itself slower and longer than "in previous episodes."
Earlier, in an interview with Bloomberg head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina reported that the regulator expects inflation in Russia to be at 4.5% at the end of 2020. According to her, in February the level of consumer prices may reach a peak, but is unlikely to exceed 5%.


tass--2020-12-10--Moscow’s coronavirus death toll rises by 74 to 9,645

MOSCOW , December 10 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow recorded 74 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours , the city ’ s coronavirus monitoring center said in a statement on Wednesday .
`` Another 74 patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for the coronavirus have died in Moscow , '' the statement reads .
The city ’ s coronavirus death toll has reached 9,645 .
Moscow has the highest number of cases nationwide .
The city has so far recorded over 665,200 coronavirus cases and more than 507,100 recoveries .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) 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 , about 68.3 mln people have been infected worldwide and more than 1.5 mln deaths have been reported .
According to the national anti-coronavirus crisis center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with more than two mln patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates over 44,700 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Moscow recorded 74 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, the city’s coronavirus monitoring center said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Another 74 patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for the coronavirus have died in Moscow," the statement reads. The city’s coronavirus death toll has reached 9,645.
Moscow has the highest number of cases nationwide. The city has so far recorded over 665,200 coronavirus cases and more than 507,100 recoveries.
Coronavirus pandemic
In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed 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, about 68.3 mln people have been infected worldwide and more than 1.5 mln deaths have been reported.
According to the national anti-coronavirus crisis center, to date, over 2.5 mln 1coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with more than two mln patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates over 44,700 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-12-09--Sanctions on Russia cost EU economy €21 bln per year

BERLIN , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The sanctions that the European Union imposed on Russia over the 2014 events @ @ @ @ @ economy €21 bln per year , the Dusseldorf Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in @ @ @ @ @ `` The sanctions on Russia cost the German economy €5.45 bln per year , and @ @ @ @ @ losses are estimated at €21 bln , '' Managing Director of the Dusseldorf Chamber of @ @ @ @ @ said , commenting on research by the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research .
According @ @ @ @ @ policy of sanctions against Russia will only further worsen the economic situation for all players @ @ @ @ @ Germany could benefit from the removal of sanctions .
`` Research shows that from the @ @ @ @ @ both parties .
If sanctions are tightened , financial losses will rise but if they @ @ @ @ @ grow , '' Berghausen concluded .

BERLIN, December 9. /TASS/. The sanctions that the European Union imposed on Russia over the 2014 events in Ukraine cost the EU economy €21 bln per year, the Dusseldorf Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The sanctions on Russia cost the German economy €5.45 bln per year, and the European Union’s losses are estimated at €21 bln," Managing Director of the Dusseldorf Chamber of Commerce and Industry Gregor Berghausen said, commenting on research by the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research.
According to the chamber, the policy of sanctions against Russia will only further worsen the economic situation for all players, while both Russia and Germany could benefit from the removal of sanctions.
"Research shows that from the economic standpoint, sanctions damage both parties. If sanctions are tightened, financial losses will rise but if they are eased, trade will grow," Berghausen concluded.


tass--2020-12-09--Over 546,000 coronavirus cases recorded worldwide in past 24 hours

GENEVA , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The global number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 67,780,000 in the past day , according to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
The global death toll passed 1,550,000 .
As of 15:22 GMT on December 9 , there were 67,780,361 confirmed cases and 1,551,214 fatalities worldwide .
The number of cases rose by 546,703 in the past day and the death toll increased by 10,132 .
The WHO statistics are based on official information provided by governments .
The Americas account for 43 % of cases recorded in the past day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 221,551 new cases were recorded in Europe in the past 24 hours and another 43,803 patients were identified in Southeast Asia .
The United States has the highest number of cases worldwide ( 14,755,996 ) , followed by India ( 9,735,850 ) , Brazil ( 6,623,911 ) , Russia ( 2,541,199 ) , France ( 2,269,668 ) , Italy ( 1,757,394 ) , the United Kingdom ( 1,750,245 ) , Spain ( 1,702,328 ) , Argentina ( 1,466,309 ) , Colombia ( 1,377,100 ) , Germany ( 1,218,524 ) and Mexico ( 1,182,249 @ @

GENEVA, December 9. /TASS/. The global number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 67,780,000 in the past day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The global death toll passed 1,550,000.
As of 15:22 GMT on December 9, there were 67,780,361 confirmed cases and 1,551,214 fatalities worldwide. The number of cases rose by 546,703 in the past day and the death toll increased by 10,132.
The WHO statistics are based on official information provided by governments.
The Americas account for 43% of cases recorded in the past day (238,792). As many as 221,551 new cases were recorded in Europe in the past 24 hours and another 43,803 patients were identified in Southeast Asia.
The United States has the highest number of cases worldwide (14,755,996), followed by India (9,735,850), Brazil (6,623,911), Russia (2,541,199), France (2,269,668), Italy (1,757,394), the United Kingdom (1,750,245), Spain (1,702,328), Argentina (1,466,309), Colombia (1,377,100), Germany (1,218,524) and Mexico (1,182,249).


tass--2020-12-09--Africa’s coronavirus death toll passes 54,000, reports WHO

PRETORIA , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The number of coronavirus cases in Africa rose by 24,461 to 2,285,614 in @ @ @ @ @ the World Health Organization ( WHO ) Regional Office for Africa said on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ has increased by 629 to 54,484 , while the number of recoveries has exceeded 1.9 @ @ @ @ @ South Africa accounts for the majority of cases ( 821,889 ) and deaths ( 22,432 @ @ @ @ @ 119,281 coronavirus cases and 6,813 fatalities .
Algeria ’ s coronavirus death toll has reached @ @ @ @ @ region , Ethiopia has confirmed 113,735 coronavirus cases and 1,755 deaths , Kenya has recorded @ @ @ @ @ , and Nigeria has so far reported 70,195 cases and 11,182 fatalities .

PRETORIA, December 9. /TASS/. The number of coronavirus cases in Africa rose by 24,461 to 2,285,614 in the past two days, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said on Wednesday.
Africa’s death toll has increased by 629 to 54,484, while the number of recoveries has exceeded 1.9 mln.
The Republic of South Africa accounts for the majority of cases (821,889) and deaths (22,432). Egypt has confirmed 119,281 coronavirus cases and 6,813 fatalities. Algeria’s coronavirus death toll has reached 6,370.
In the sub-Saharan region, Ethiopia has confirmed 113,735 coronavirus cases and 1,755 deaths, Kenya has recorded 88,579 cases and 1,531 deaths, and Nigeria has so far reported 70,195 cases and 11,182 fatalities.


tass--2020-12-09--Turkey launches toxicological trials for Russian coronavirus vaccine

`` It is important for us that the vaccine produced in Russia undergo toxicological trials and meet the GLP criteria .
We are starting these trials .
I can say that if they are held successfully there will be no problems with supplying the Russian vaccine , '' the minister stressed .
Therefore , Koca denied the information published by Haberturk newspaper Wednesday who reported that Ankara would not buy Russian vaccine , citing the minister .
On August 11 , Russia became the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine named Sputnik V , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry .
The injection passed clinical trials in June-July .
The post-registration trials of Sputnik V began in Moscow on September 7 , volunteers received the first vaccine already on September 9 .
Overall , the trials include 40,000 people , 10,000 of them had placebo instead of the vaccine .
The Sputnik V efficiency is estimated after the 42nd day after the first vaccination ( or 21 days after the second jab ) , when volunteers had a sustainable immune response , exceeds 95 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to purchase more than 1.2 billion Sputnik V doses .
The vaccine will be supplied to foreign markets by international partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) in India , Brazil , China , South Korea and others .

"It is important for us that the vaccine produced in Russia undergo toxicological trials and meet the GLP criteria. We are starting these trials. I can say that if they are held successfully there will be no problems with supplying the Russian vaccine," the minister stressed.
Therefore, Koca denied the information published by Haberturk newspaper Wednesday who reported that Ankara would not buy Russian vaccine, citing the minister.
On August 11, Russia became the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine named Sputnik V, which was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry. The injection passed clinical trials in June-July. The post-registration trials of Sputnik V began in Moscow on September 7, volunteers received the first vaccine already on September 9. Overall, the trials include 40,000 people, 10,000 of them had placebo instead of the vaccine.
The Sputnik V efficiency is estimated after the 42nd day after the first vaccination (or 21 days after the second jab), when volunteers had a sustainable immune response, exceeds 95%
More than 50 countries have sent applications to purchase more than 1.2 billion Sputnik V doses. The vaccine will be supplied to foreign markets by international partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and others.


tass--2020-12-09--St. Petersburg’s coronavirus hospitalizations hit all-time high

ST. PETERSBURG , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
As many as 933 coronavirus patients were taken to hospitals in the @ @ @ @ @ in the past 24 hours , the highest daily number since the beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ of the city ’ s health committee Andrei Sarana told reporters on Wednesday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ beds in the morning .
However , we hit an all-time high of 933 hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ Those were serious and critical patients who were admitted to hospitals re-equipped to treat people @ @ @ @ @ '' he pointed out .
Coronavirus patients are being treated in 16 city hospitals and @ @ @ @ @ St. Petersburg , where there are more than 11,000 beds in total .
St. Petersburg @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus patients nationwide , after Moscow .
The city has so far recorded 159,389 cases @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
As many as 3,761 patients were identified in the city in the past @ @ @ @ @ since the start of the pandemic .

ST. PETERSBURG, December 9. /TASS/. As many as 933 coronavirus patients were taken to hospitals in the Russian city of St. Petersburg in the past 24 hours, the highest daily number since the beginning of the pandemic, first deputy head of the city’s health committee Andrei Sarana told reporters on Wednesday.
"We had 929 vacant hospital beds in the morning. However, we hit an all-time high of 933 hospitalizations in the past day. Those were serious and critical patients who were admitted to hospitals re-equipped to treat people diagnosed with the coronavirus," he pointed out.
Coronavirus patients are being treated in 16 city hospitals and five federal medical facilities in St. Petersburg, where there are more than 11,000 beds in total.
St. Petersburg has the second-highest number of coronavirus patients nationwide, after Moscow. The city has so far recorded 159,389 cases, 89,890 recoveries and 6,030 deaths. As many as 3,761 patients were identified in the city in the past day, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.


tass--2020-12-09--Putin states slow unemployment rate decline in Russia

NOVO-OGAREVO , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
President Vladimir Putin stated that the unemployment rate is declining slowly in Russia @ @ @ @ @ to speak about any significant changes on the labor market .
Speaking at a meeting @ @ @ @ @ he called high unemployment `` one of the key challenges at the present time , @ @ @ @ @ , but worldwide .
The President noted that after the peak values in August , @ @ @ @ @ started to decline and now stands at about 6.3 % .

NOVO-OGAREVO, December 9. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin stated that the unemployment rate is declining slowly in Russia so it is too early to speak about any significant changes on the labor market.
Speaking at a meeting on economic issues on Wednesday he called high unemployment "one of the key challenges at the present time," not only for Russia, but worldwide.
The President noted that after the peak values in August, unemployment in the country had started to decline and now stands at about 6.3%.


tass--2020-12-09--Russia’s top brass uploads video with missile launches in strategic nuclear forces’ drills

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s Defense Ministry released a video with the launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in the strategic nuclear forces ’ drills supervised by Supreme Commander-in-Chief , Russian President Vladimir Putin .
The video shows the launches of strategic cruise missiles conducted by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers that took off from the Engels and Ukrainka airfields .
According to the video , the bombers employed the latest air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101 and Kh-555 ( Kh-55 strategic missiles converted into conventional versions ) they carried in their weapons bays .
The Kh-555 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Kh-55 modification with a conventional warhead .
The missile can be outfitted with different types of warheads .
Kh-555 missiles were employed by Russian Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers during the air task force ’ s operation in Syria .
The Russian Defense Ministry also released a video showing the launch of a ballistic missile by the nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarine Karelia from the submerged position .
The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine carries Sineva intercontinental ballistic missiles as its main armament .
Before that , the submarine K-18 Karelia launched a Sineva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 , 2019 , according to open data .
Russia ’ s Defense Ministry also made public a video with the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russia .
The Strategic Missile Force , the crews of strategic missile-carrying bombers , the Aerospace Force and the crew of a nuclear-powered submarine launched ballistic and cruise missiles in strategic nuclear forces ’ drills , Russia ’ s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday .
`` The combat training launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile , a submarine-launched ballistic missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed from the Plesetsk state testing cosmodrome , the Barents Sea and also by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers from the Engels and Ukrainka aerodromes , '' the ministry said in a statement .
The missiles struck the targets at the Kura and Pemboi proving grounds .
The drills for the strategic nuclear forces ’ command and control were held in Russia on December 9 under the command of Russia ’ s Supreme Commander-in-Chief , President Vladimir Putin in compliance with the plan of the Armed Forces ’ training .
All the tasks set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Defense Ministry stressed .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video with the launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in the strategic nuclear forces’ drills supervised by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The video shows the launches of strategic cruise missiles conducted by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers that took off from the Engels and Ukrainka airfields.
According to the video, the bombers employed the latest air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101 and Kh-555 (Kh-55 strategic missiles converted into conventional versions) they carried in their weapons bays.
The Kh-555 is a subsonic air-launched strategic cruise missile, a Kh-55 modification with a conventional warhead. The missile can be outfitted with different types of warheads. Kh-555 missiles were employed by Russian Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers during the air task force’s operation in Syria.
The Russian Defense Ministry also released a video showing the launch of a ballistic missile by the nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarine Karelia from the submerged position. The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine carries Sineva intercontinental ballistic missiles as its main armament. Before that, the submarine K-18 Karelia launched a Sineva ICBM from the submerged position on October 17, 2019, according to open data.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also made public a video with the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russia.
Russia’s strategic nuclear forces launch ballistic, cruise missiles in drills
The Strategic Missile Force, the crews of strategic missile-carrying bombers, the Aerospace Force and the crew of a nuclear-powered submarine launched ballistic and cruise missiles in strategic nuclear forces’ drills, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.
"The combat training launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a submarine-launched ballistic missile and airborne long-range precision cruise missiles were performed from the Plesetsk state testing cosmodrome, the Barents Sea and also by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers from the Engels and Ukrainka aerodromes," the ministry said in a statement.
The missiles struck the targets at the Kura and Pemboi proving grounds.
The drills for the strategic nuclear forces’ command and control were held in Russia on December 9 under the command of Russia’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Vladimir Putin in compliance with the plan of the Armed Forces’ training. All the tasks set during the drills were accomplished in full, the Defense Ministry stressed.


tass--2020-12-09--France, Germany must push Ukraine towards implementing Paris summit decisions - Zakharova

MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
Russia hopes that France and Germany will help persuade Ukraine to implement the Normandy Quartet ’ s decisions made at the Paris summit a year ago and the Minsk Accords , Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary in connection with the summit ’ s anniversary on Wednesday .
She stressed that France and Germany turned a blind eye to the Ukrainian leadership ’ s destructive moves that impeded the implementation of the Minsk Accords .
The fact that together with Kiev they ignored the informal meeting of the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine merely increases doubts if Berlin and Paris wish to promote the conflict ’ s settlement in earnest , she stressed .
`` It has to be stated that we seem to be witnesses to a replica of the situation that was observed after the Normandy Quartet ’ s summit in Berlin in 2016 .
It took Kiev more than three years to implement only part of its decisions .
Besides , this became possible only after presidential and parliamentary elections , '' Zakharova said .
`` We do hope that this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian partners they should implement the simple sequence of practical moves , which are unequivocally described in the package of measures and resolutions by the Normandy Quartet ’ s Paris summit and conduct a direct dialogue with the representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions . ''
The situation with translating into life the political aspects of the settlement in the region is the worst .
The Ukrainian parliament ’ s July resolution on holding local elections in all regions of Ukraine except for Donbass was a major obstruction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Ukrainian legislators set for Donetsk and Lugansk to meet are a crude violation of the Package of Measures .
In an attempt to find a way out , Donbass invited Kiev to agree a plan for action to be taken by the legislators in accordance with the Minsk Accords , and even proposed a draft of such a plan , '' Zakharova said .
`` In response , Kiev presented its own list of joint steps which constitutes a still greater violation of the Package of Measures and ignores Donbass proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came out with an absurd call for declaring the Donbass project void , although it was officially proposed and received by Ukraine . ''
Zakharova recalled that since the Paris summit of one year ago only two of the seven agreed steps have been taken , and not to the full extent .
`` In July , after Ukraine ’ s strong resistance , extra measures came into force to enhance ceasefire .
By September , though , Kiev had already distorted them or disavowed them unilaterally .
For the time being , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly because Donbass does not retaliate Ukrainian bombardments and other violations of the extra measures , '' Zakharova said .
`` In December 2019 and in April 2020 there were two exchanges of held persons .
But Kiev has failed to carry out legal clearance of some of these persons , who are at risk of being arrested again . ''
Zakharova stressed that Kiev continued to indulge in grand stand play instead of taking real action , which was well seen the farcical campaign over the opening of checkpoints Shchastye and Zolotoye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning of November .
`` For a whole year Kiev had hindered that process , refused to provide security guarantees and concealed information about work in progress in its territory from the OSCE and Lugansk , '' Zakharova said .
`` In the end it opened the checkpoints only for pedestrians while being well aware that Lugansk had been creating automobile checkpoints , extremely important for the delivery of humanitarian supplies .
`` .

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia hopes that France and Germany will help persuade Ukraine to implement the Normandy Quartet’s decisions made at the Paris summit a year ago and the Minsk Accords, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary in connection with the summit’s anniversary on Wednesday.
She stressed that France and Germany turned a blind eye to the Ukrainian leadership’s destructive moves that impeded the implementation of the Minsk Accords. The fact that together with Kiev they ignored the informal meeting of the UN Security Council on a settlement in southeastern Ukraine merely increases doubts if Berlin and Paris wish to promote the conflict’s settlement in earnest, she stressed.
"It has to be stated that we seem to be witnesses to a replica of the situation that was observed after the Normandy Quartet’s summit in Berlin in 2016. It took Kiev more than three years to implement only part of its decisions. Besides, this became possible only after presidential and parliamentary elections," Zakharova said. "We do hope that this time France and Germany will help persuade our Ukrainian partners they should implement the simple sequence of practical moves, which are unequivocally described in the package of measures and resolutions by the Normandy Quartet’s Paris summit and conduct a direct dialogue with the representatives of certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions."
The situation with translating into life the political aspects of the settlement in the region is the worst. The Ukrainian parliament’s July resolution on holding local elections in all regions of Ukraine except for Donbass was a major obstruction to enforcing the agreements.
"The conditions that the Ukrainian legislators set for Donetsk and Lugansk to meet are a crude violation of the Package of Measures. In an attempt to find a way out, Donbass invited Kiev to agree a plan for action to be taken by the legislators in accordance with the Minsk Accords, and even proposed a draft of such a plan," Zakharova said. "In response, Kiev presented its own list of joint steps which constitutes a still greater violation of the Package of Measures and ignores Donbass proposals. In the Contact Group Ukrainian representatives came out with an absurd call for declaring the Donbass project void, although it was officially proposed and received by Ukraine."
Lack of results
Zakharova recalled that since the Paris summit of one year ago only two of the seven agreed steps have been taken, and not to the full extent.
"In July, after Ukraine’s strong resistance, extra measures came into force to enhance ceasefire. By September, though, Kiev had already distorted them or disavowed them unilaterally. For the time being, the ceasefire is observed more or less mostly because Donbass does not retaliate Ukrainian bombardments and other violations of the extra measures," Zakharova said. "In December 2019 and in April 2020 there were two exchanges of held persons. But Kiev has failed to carry out legal clearance of some of these persons, who are at risk of being arrested again."
Zakharova stressed that Kiev continued to indulge in grand stand play instead of taking real action, which was well seen the farcical campaign over the opening of checkpoints Shchastye and Zolotoye, in the Lugansk Region at the beginning of November.
"For a whole year Kiev had hindered that process, refused to provide security guarantees and concealed information about work in progress in its territory from the OSCE and Lugansk," Zakharova said. "In the end it opened the checkpoints only for pedestrians while being well aware that Lugansk had been creating automobile checkpoints, extremely important for the delivery of humanitarian supplies.".


tass--2020-12-09--Duma to press for objectivity towards Russian accused of spying in Denmark

`` It goes without saying that we will use our parliamentary resources to press for an objective and impartial approach to our fellow citizen and for his prompt return home , '' he said .
MOSCOW , December 9 .
/TASS/ .
The State Duma ’ s international affairs committee will press for an impartial attitude to the case of a Russian citizen accused of spying in Denmark and also for his return to Russia , the committee ’ s chairman , Leonid Slutsky , told the media on Wednesday .
Slutsky remarked that Europe was witnessing what he described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest incident in Denmark is another example of this witch-hunt , '' Slutsky said .
`` The way I see it , all these actions merely continue the policy of confrontation being conducted by the collective West . ''
The Danish prosecutor ’ s office on Wednesday brought spying charges against a Russian citizen who is permanently resident in the country .
The man , who has been in custody since the beginning of July 2020 , is suspected , among other things , of gathering and passing Danish energy technologies to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office is going to demand the Russian be sentenced to a jail term and then deported from Denmark .
The trial in the northern city of Aalborg will be held behind closed doors .

"It goes without saying that we will use our parliamentary resources to press for an objective and impartial approach to our fellow citizen and for his prompt return home," he said.
MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. The State Duma’s international affairs committee will press for an impartial attitude to the case of a Russian citizen accused of spying in Denmark and also for his return to Russia, the committee’s chairman, Leonid Slutsky, told the media on Wednesday.
Slutsky remarked that Europe was witnessing what he described as anti-Russian spying hysteria.
"The latest incident in Denmark is another example of this witch-hunt," Slutsky said. "The way I see it, all these actions merely continue the policy of confrontation being conducted by the collective West."
The Danish prosecutor’s office on Wednesday brought spying charges against a Russian citizen who is permanently resident in the country. The man, who has been in custody since the beginning of July 2020, is suspected, among other things, of gathering and passing Danish energy technologies to the Russian intelligence. The prosecutor’s office is going to demand the Russian be sentenced to a jail term and then deported from Denmark. The trial in the northern city of Aalborg will be held behind closed doors.