tass--2020-07-07--German ambassador upbeat on Nord Stream 2’s future after Denmark's go-ahead

`` Over the past few days , we have seen positive developments unfold .
Denmark gave its permission to carry on the work , so that ’ s why I am optimistic that Nord Stream 2 will be completed despite the delay , '' the diplomat told an online briefing .
MOSCOW , July 7./TASS/ .
German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr expressed his optimism Tuesday about the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline given Copenhagen ’ s recent decision to greenlight the continuation of the construction .
He also stressed that Washington ’ s sanctions over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t change the stance of the German authorities on Nord Stream 2 '' .
Von Geyr emphasized that Berlin deems Washington ’ s exterritorial sanctions to pressure the project into being scrapped as illegitimate .
At the same briefing , EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer said that the European Union was against sanctions being imposed on European companies engaged in legitimate business .
Earlier , at the request of Nord Stream 2 AG , the Danish Energy Agency ( DEA ) gave the go-ahead to use vessels in an unfinished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline running along the southeast of Bornholm Island .
The Nord Stream 2 project involves building two gas pipeline branches with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters to be pumped annually from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea .
The gas pipeline has been 93 % completed to date .
The delay in the project was due to the fact that at the end of December 2019 , as a result of US sanctions , Switzerland ’ s Allseas halted work on the gas pipeline and withdrew its vessels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline would be completed anyway .
In January , Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that before the end of this year , or in Q1 2021 , work on the project would be completed and the gas pipeline would be commissioned .

"Over the past few days, we have seen positive developments unfold. Denmark gave its permission to carry on the work, so that’s why I am optimistic that Nord Stream 2 will be completed despite the delay," the diplomat told an online briefing.
MOSCOW, July 7./TASS/. German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr expressed his optimism Tuesday about the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline given Copenhagen’s recent decision to greenlight the continuation of the construction.
He also stressed that Washington’s sanctions over the construction of the gas pipeline "won’t change the stance of the German authorities on Nord Stream 2". Von Geyr emphasized that Berlin deems Washington’s exterritorial sanctions to pressure the project into being scrapped as illegitimate.
At the same briefing, EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer said that the European Union was against sanctions being imposed on European companies engaged in legitimate business.
Earlier, at the request of Nord Stream 2 AG, the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) gave the go-ahead to use vessels in an unfinished section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline running along the southeast of Bornholm Island.
The Nord Stream 2 project involves building two gas pipeline branches with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters to be pumped annually from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The gas pipeline has been 93% completed to date. The delay in the project was due to the fact that at the end of December 2019, as a result of US sanctions, Switzerland’s Allseas halted work on the gas pipeline and withdrew its vessels. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller reassured that the pipeline would be completed anyway. In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that before the end of this year, or in Q1 2021, work on the project would be completed and the gas pipeline would be commissioned.


tass--2020-07-07--Russia only now enters the most difficult period of crisis, expert says

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
The most difficult period of the crisis , caused by the coronavirus pandemic , is just beginning in Russia , Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich said on Tuesday .
According to him , small and medium-sized businesses will have the most difficult time .
`` Optimists believe that we are already somewhere at the bottom , and Europe has already begun to overcome the crisis .
I think we have not yet reached the bottom , especially in Russia we are only entering the most difficult period of the crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent concerns small and medium-sized businesses - all their problems are still ahead .
They will come only by the end of summer , fall , maybe by the end of the year , '' Dvorkovich said .
He added that the last two or three months , small and medium-sized businesses simply waited and expected the best , now such companies will gradually begin to close , and a series of considerable problems will gradually begin .
At the same time , large companies , according to Dvorkovich , will gradually increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early fall , but they will still be very far from pre-crisis levels .
`` It means that the problems are not decreasing , they will just become a little less noticeable at the moment .
However , big problems will accumulate , and , therefore , the crisis will not go away .
Unfortunately , in many industries this means that individual players will leave the market , the most successful will further consolidate and survive , '' Dvorkovich said .
According to him , the government is doing a lot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be priorities .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The most difficult period of the crisis, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is just beginning in Russia, Chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich said on Tuesday. According to him, small and medium-sized businesses will have the most difficult time.
"Optimists believe that we are already somewhere at the bottom, and Europe has already begun to overcome the crisis. I think we have not yet reached the bottom, especially in Russia we are only entering the most difficult period of the crisis. Of course, this to a greater extent concerns small and medium-sized businesses - all their problems are still ahead. They will come only by the end of summer, fall, maybe by the end of the year," Dvorkovich said.
He added that the last two or three months, small and medium-sized businesses simply waited and expected the best, now such companies will gradually begin to close, and a series of considerable problems will gradually begin. At the same time, large companies, according to Dvorkovich, will gradually increase production by the end of summer - early fall, but they will still be very far from pre-crisis levels.
"It means that the problems are not decreasing, they will just become a little less noticeable at the moment. However, big problems will accumulate, and, therefore, the crisis will not go away. Unfortunately, in many industries this means that individual players will leave the market, the most successful will further consolidate and survive," Dvorkovich said. According to him, the government is doing a lot to support business, but inevitably there will have to be priorities.


tass--2020-07-07--Man plotting terror attack on administrative buildings detained in Astrakhan

ASTRAKHAN , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Officers of Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) have apprehended @ @ @ @ @ State ( IS ) terror group ( outlawed in Russia ) who was plotting a @ @ @ @ @ the press service of the FSB Department for the Astrakhan Region informed TASS on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ established that a resident of Astrakhan born in 1987 who intended to join illegal armed @ @ @ @ @ … > decided to commit a terrorist attack in the city of Astrakhan by means @ @ @ @ @ administrative buildings .
Officers of the FSB Department for the Astrakhan Region foiled the Russian @ @ @ @ @ '' the press service said .

Foreigner who wanted to fight for IS detained in Russia
ASTRAKHAN, July 7. /TASS/. Officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) have apprehended a supporter of the Islamic State (IS) terror group (outlawed in Russia) who was plotting a terror attack in Astrakhan, the press service of the FSB Department for the Astrakhan Region informed TASS on Tuesday.
"It has been established that a resident of Astrakhan born in 1987 who intended to join illegal armed groups operating in Syria <…> decided to commit a terrorist attack in the city of Astrakhan by means of an armed attack on administrative buildings. Officers of the FSB Department for the Astrakhan Region foiled the Russian citizen’s activities," the press service said.
The man was detained at his place of residence, where FSB officers found and seized a flare pistol converted for firing live ammunition as well as cartridges, two grenades and banned extremist literature.
"The Investigative Directorate of the FSB Department for the Astrakhan Region opened a criminal case against the local resident <…> under Part 1 of Section 205 and Part 2 of Section 205.5 of Russia’s Criminal Code," the press service added.


tass--2020-07-07--Troops employ latest electronic warfare system to repel drone attack in Urals drills

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
The electronic warfare personnel of the Central Military District ’ s 2nd all-arms army repelled a notional enemy ’ s drone attack with the help of the latest Silok system during drills in the Orenburg Region , the District ’ s press office reported on Tuesday .
`` The personnel used the Silok system to detect a swarm of a notional enemy ’ s attack drones approaching a defense factory .
The electronic warfare units practiced repelling an attack by a group of enemy drones , using the experience of the latest local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The electronic warfare system detected air objects in the automated mode and determined their coordinates .
The Silok helped the troops suppress the drones ’ control and communications channels at a distance of up to 4 kilometers from their base , the statement says .
The drills that ran in the daytime and at night involved over 500 troops and over 100 items of military and special hardware .
Russia ’ s Central Military District is based on the territory of the Volga , Urals and Siberian integrated federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Central Military District also includes some overseas facilities : the 201st military base in Tajikistan , the Kant integrated military base in Kyrgyzstan and units stationed on the territory of Kazakhstan .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The electronic warfare personnel of the Central Military District’s 2nd all-arms army repelled a notional enemy’s drone attack with the help of the latest Silok system during drills in the Orenburg Region, the District’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"The personnel used the Silok system to detect a swarm of a notional enemy’s attack drones approaching a defense factory. The electronic warfare units practiced repelling an attack by a group of enemy drones, using the experience of the latest local conflicts," the press office said in a statement.
The electronic warfare system detected air objects in the automated mode and determined their coordinates. The Silok helped the troops suppress the drones’ control and communications channels at a distance of up to 4 kilometers from their base, the statement says.
The drills that ran in the daytime and at night involved over 500 troops and over 100 items of military and special hardware.
Russia’s Central Military District is based on the territory of the Volga, Urals and Siberian integrated federal districts and 29 Russian regions. Structurally, the Central Military District also includes some overseas facilities: the 201st military base in Tajikistan, the Kant integrated military base in Kyrgyzstan and units stationed on the territory of Kazakhstan.


tass--2020-07-07--Russia’s lower house appeals to Turkish parliament on status of Hagia Sophia

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
The Russian State Duma ( lower house ) has called on members of Turkey ’ s Grand National Assembly ( parliament ) to influence the authorities when discussing the changes in the status of Istanbul ’ s Hagia Sophia and prevent possible damage to it .
The lower house of the Russian parliament approved the text of the appeal at a meeting on Tuesday .
`` Members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appeal to their counterparts , members of Turkey ’ s Grand National Assembly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sensitive issue for our citizens about changing the status of Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul , '' the appeal said .
It noted that it is `` an outstanding monument of Byzantine architecture , a world masterpiece added to the UNESCO World Heritage List . ''
In addition , this is `` one of the places of interest in Istanbul visited by Russian tourists most often , '' lawmakers stressed .
`` Members of the State Duma are convinced that it is essential to take all possible steps in order to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hasty change in the status of the world-famous museum , '' the appeal reads , stressing that Russian lawmakers `` deeply appreciate the friendly nature of Russian-Turkish relations , which are particularly important for the peoples… [ of Russia and Turkey ] amidst difficult times of growing geopolitical and other contradictions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic . ''
Russian parliamentarians asked members of Turkey ’ s Grand National Assembly `` to analyze the situation thoroughly '' and called on those responsible for `` making the decision on the status of the Hagia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to review the decision by founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , which turned the Hagia Sophia into a symbol of peace and interfaith harmony for many years . ''
The CNN Turk TV earlier reported that Turkey ’ s Council of State had discussed the issue on July 2 on instructions from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
According to the TV channel , the debate lasted 17 minutes , and the decision is expected to be made public within 15 days .
The Hagia Sophia is an example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders of the Emperor Justinian I .
After the fall of the Byzantine Empire , the cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1453 .
In 1935 , under a decree signed by founder of the modern Turkish state Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the cathedral became a museum .
In 1985 , the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma (lower house) has called on members of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (parliament) to influence the authorities when discussing the changes in the status of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and prevent possible damage to it. The lower house of the Russian parliament approved the text of the appeal at a meeting on Tuesday.
"Members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appeal to their counterparts, members of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, in connection with the Turkish authorities considering a sensitive issue for our citizens about changing the status of Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul," the appeal said. It noted that it is "an outstanding monument of Byzantine architecture, a world masterpiece added to the UNESCO World Heritage List." In addition, this is "one of the places of interest in Istanbul visited by Russian tourists most often," lawmakers stressed.
"Members of the State Duma are convinced that it is essential to take all possible steps in order to prevent the damage that could be caused by a hasty change in the status of the world-famous museum," the appeal reads, stressing that Russian lawmakers "deeply appreciate the friendly nature of Russian-Turkish relations, which are particularly important for the peoples… [of Russia and Turkey] amidst difficult times of growing geopolitical and other contradictions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic."
Russian parliamentarians asked members of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly "to analyze the situation thoroughly" and called on those responsible for "making the decision on the status of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to show wisdom and not to review the decision by founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, which turned the Hagia Sophia into a symbol of peace and interfaith harmony for many years."
The CNN Turk TV earlier reported that Turkey’s Council of State had discussed the issue on July 2 on instructions from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the TV channel, the debate lasted 17 minutes, and the decision is expected to be made public within 15 days.
Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia is an example of Byzantine architecture built in 532-537 on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1453. In 1935, under a decree signed by founder of the modern Turkish state Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the cathedral became a museum. In 1985, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.


tass--2020-07-07--COVID-19 in Russia: Over two-thirds of those infected recover

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Russia has documented 6,368 cases of COVID-19 , a disease caused by the novel coronavirus , in the past 24 hours , with the daily increase rate reaching a record low of 0.9 % , the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Tuesday .
In the past week , the increase rate has not surpassed 1 % .
In the past 12 days , under 7,000 cases of infection have been reported daily .
The total number of those infected in Russia has reached 694,230 .
Currently , 219,856 people ( 31.7 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russia .
Another 9,551 coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals in Russia after treatment in the past 24 hours , the total number of recoveries has climbed to 463,880 .
According to the crisis center , recoveries have exceeded 66.8 % of the total number of coronavirus cases in Russia .
The coronavirus spread coefficient in Russia and Moscow has reached 0.99 .
In the first seven days of July , Russia has documented a total of 46,381 cases of infection compared to 61,830 cases in the corresponding period of last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The daily increase rate has dropped to 1 % compared to about 2 % last month .
Moscow has shown a dramatic decrease in new cases .
On June 1-7 , 14,226 people were diagnosed with the coronavirus , while on July 1-7 , only 4,576 cases of COVID-19 have been documented .
The number of those recovered has remained on the same level : 54,848 in the first week of July compared to 51,230 on the first week of June .
A month ago , the share of those recovered reached 48.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has gone up to 66.8 % .
On Tuesday , the crisis center informed that 198 people had died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours compared to 135 the day before , bringing the total fatality count to 10,494 .
Since the beginning of the outbreak , 1.51 % of all COVID-19 patients died in Russia .
In the first week of July , 1,174 people have died in Russia from the virus , compared to 1,166 in the first week of June .
Moscow has documented the highest amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 38.1 % of all recorded deaths ) , however , recently , the number of daily deaths has been subsiding .
In the past week , the crisis center reported 203 deaths compared to 442 in the first week of June .
St. Petersburg comes in second on the fatality count with 1,437 deaths ( 13.7 % of all recorded deaths in Russia ) , including 48 in the past 24 hours .
The Moscow Region comes in third with 965 deaths ( 9.2 % of all recorded fatalities ) .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 is significantly lower than in Moscow or St. Petersburg : 1.62 % compared to 1.77 % in Moscow and 5.5 % in St. Petersburg .
The Moscow Region , which comes in second in Russia on the total amount of COVID-19 cases , has documented 177 people infected in the past 24 hours , which is the lowest figure since April 11 , when 152 residents of the region were diagnosed with the virus .
In the first week of July , 1,952 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
The Nizhny Novgorod Region has documented 198 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours .
For the first time since May 5 , fewer than 200 people have been diagnosed with the virus .
The weekly increase rate has also gone down from 2,303 in the first week of June to 1,543 in the first week of July .
The coronavirus spread coefficient also points to the stabilization of the situation .
In seven out of ten regions with the highest number of people infected , the spread coefficient is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been documented in the Moscow Region ( 0.84 ) .
In the Voronezh Region , it has reached 0.9 , in the Nizhny Novgorod Region - 0.95 , in the Krasnoyarsk Region - 0.96 , in the Irkutsk Region - 0.98 , in the Rostov Region - 0.99 .
Moscow has reported a 0.99 coefficient .
The coefficient has been higher than 1 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District ( 1.04 ) , the Sverdlovsk Region ( 1.05 ) , and St. Petersburg ( 1.07 ) .
The spread coefficient is calculated using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being in its recommendations for regions on easing lockdown measures imposed due to the coronavirus spread .
It should not exceed 1 for shifting to the first phase of easing restrictions in a Russian region .
The coefficient shows how many people on average get the coronavirus infection from one infected person prior to their isolation , the watchdog explained .
According to the recommendations , Russian regions where this figure equals or is below 1 can begin the first stage of lifting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserved for coronavirus patients and conduct enough tests for the virus .
If the coefficient is lower than 0.8 , Russian regions can move on to the second stage of lifting the restrictions , if it is lower than 0.5 , they can begin the third stage .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 11,756,400 people have been infected worldwide and more than 541,000 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 6,753,100 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Russia has documented 6,368 cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, with the daily increase rate reaching a record low of 0.9%, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Tuesday.
In the past week, the increase rate has not surpassed 1%. In the past 12 days, under 7,000 cases of infection have been reported daily. The total number of those infected in Russia has reached 694,230. Currently, 219,856 people (31.7%) diagnosed with COVID-19 are undergoing treatment in Russia.
Another 9,551 coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals in Russia after treatment in the past 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has climbed to 463,880. According to the crisis center, recoveries have exceeded 66.8% of the total number of coronavirus cases in Russia.
The coronavirus spread coefficient in Russia and Moscow has reached 0.99.
Minimal increase rate
In the first seven days of July, Russia has documented a total of 46,381 cases of infection compared to 61,830 cases in the corresponding period of last month (a 25% decrease). The daily increase rate has dropped to 1% compared to about 2% last month.
Moscow has shown a dramatic decrease in new cases. On June 1-7, 14,226 people were diagnosed with the coronavirus, while on July 1-7, only 4,576 cases of COVID-19 have been documented.
The number of those recovered has remained on the same level: 54,848 in the first week of July compared to 51,230 on the first week of June. A month ago, the share of those recovered reached 48.5%, while as of Tuesday morning, it has gone up to 66.8%.
Lethality rate
On Tuesday, the crisis center informed that 198 people had died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours compared to 135 the day before, bringing the total fatality count to 10,494. Since the beginning of the outbreak, 1.51% of all COVID-19 patients died in Russia.
In the first week of July, 1,174 people have died in Russia from the virus, compared to 1,166 in the first week of June.
Moscow has documented the highest amount of deaths in the country: 3,999 (38.1% of all recorded deaths), however, recently, the number of daily deaths has been subsiding. In the past week, the crisis center reported 203 deaths compared to 442 in the first week of June.
St. Petersburg comes in second on the fatality count with 1,437 deaths (13.7% of all recorded deaths in Russia), including 48 in the past 24 hours.
The Moscow Region comes in third with 965 deaths (9.2% of all recorded fatalities). In the Moscow Region, the lethality rate from COVID-19 is significantly lower than in Moscow or St. Petersburg: 1.62% compared to 1.77% in Moscow and 5.5% in St. Petersburg.
Situation in Russian regions
The Moscow Region, which comes in second in Russia on the total amount of COVID-19 cases, has documented 177 people infected in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest figure since April 11, when 152 residents of the region were diagnosed with the virus. In the first week of July, 1,952 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, compared to 5,237 in the corresponding period of June.
The Nizhny Novgorod Region has documented 198 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. For the first time since May 5, fewer than 200 people have been diagnosed with the virus. The weekly increase rate has also gone down from 2,303 in the first week of June to 1,543 in the first week of July.
The coronavirus spread coefficient also points to the stabilization of the situation. In seven out of ten regions with the highest number of people infected, the spread coefficient is lower than 1. The lowest coefficient has been documented in the Moscow Region (0.84). In the Voronezh Region, it has reached 0.9, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region - 0.95, in the Krasnoyarsk Region - 0.96, in the Irkutsk Region - 0.98, in the Rostov Region - 0.99. Moscow has reported a 0.99 coefficient.
The coefficient has been higher than 1 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District (1.04), the Sverdlovsk Region (1.05), and St. Petersburg (1.07).
The spread coefficient is calculated using the formula provided by the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being in its recommendations for regions on easing lockdown measures imposed due to the coronavirus spread. It should not exceed 1 for shifting to the first phase of easing restrictions in a Russian region. The coefficient shows how many people on average get the coronavirus infection from one infected person prior to their isolation, the watchdog explained.
According to the recommendations, Russian regions where this figure equals or is below 1 can begin the first stage of lifting the restrictions if they have enough hospital beds reserved for coronavirus patients and conduct enough tests for the virus. If the coefficient is lower than 0.8, Russian regions can move on to the second stage of lifting the restrictions, if it is lower than 0.5, they can begin the third stage.
About the virus
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 11,756,400 people have been infected worldwide and more than 541,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 6,753,100 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.


tass--2020-07-07--At least 21 people killed as bus plunges into reservoir in southwest China, reports say

BEIJING , July 7./TASS/ .
At least 21 people were killed and 15 other were injured when a bus plunged into a reservoir in the city of Anshun in China ’ s southwestern Guizhou Province , The Paper reports .
According to the newspaper , all injured occupants of the bus were hospitalized .
The authorities don ’ t know the exact number of the passengers on the bus as of yet .
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has dispatched a commission to the site to investigate the accident .
Earlier , China ’ s central television said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of the national college entrance examination crashed into a roadside guard rail and fell into a lake .
It gave no information about the possible casualties .
Medics , rescuers and divers are working at the site .
As a rule , the exam takes place from June 6 to June 8 , but this time it was postponed to July 7-8 due to the coronavirus pandemic .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe .

BEIJING, July 7./TASS/. At least 21 people were killed and 15 other were injured when a bus plunged into a reservoir in the city of Anshun in China’s southwestern Guizhou Province, The Paper reports.
According to the newspaper, all injured occupants of the bus were hospitalized. The authorities don’t know the exact number of the passengers on the bus as of yet. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has dispatched a commission to the site to investigate the accident.
Earlier, China’s central television said that the bus carrying school students on the day of the national college entrance examination crashed into a roadside guard rail and fell into a lake. It gave no information about the possible casualties. Medics, rescuers and divers are working at the site.
As a rule, the exam takes place from June 6 to June 8, but this time it was postponed to July 7-8 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe.


tass--2020-07-07--Roscosmos advisor suspected of handing over confidential data to NATO

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Advisor to the head of the Russian space agency , Roscosmos , Ivan Safronov is suspected of communicating confidential state information to a representative of one of NATO ’ s intelligence services and was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the FSB public relations office told TASS .
`` The Federal Security Service detained Ivan Safronov , advisor to the director general of Roscosmos state corporation , in Moscow .
Safronov was performing tasks of one of NATO intelligence services , collecting state confidential data about Russia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and security and handing it over to its [ NATO intelligence service ] representative , '' the FSB said .
Prosecution launched criminal proceedings on the count of state treason against Safronov , which carries 20 years behind bars .
The FSB added that the investigation continues .
Earlier , Roscosmos informed that Safronov had been arrested .
Safronov was born in Moscow in 1990 .
He graduated from Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics in 2010 , obtaining a degree in journalism .
He worked as a special correspondent for Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was covering military and military-technical cooperation as well as defense and space industries .
In May 2020 , Safronov was appointed advisor to the Roscosmos chief for information policy and was curating a number of Roscosmos programs .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Advisor to the head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, Ivan Safronov is suspected of communicating confidential state information to a representative of one of NATO’s intelligence services and was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the FSB public relations office told TASS.
"The Federal Security Service detained Ivan Safronov, advisor to the director general of Roscosmos state corporation, in Moscow. Safronov was performing tasks of one of NATO intelligence services, collecting state confidential data about Russia’s military and technical cooperation, defense and security and handing it over to its [NATO intelligence service] representative," the FSB said.
Prosecution launched criminal proceedings on the count of state treason against Safronov, which carries 20 years behind bars. The FSB added that the investigation continues. Earlier, Roscosmos informed that Safronov had been arrested.
Safronov was born in Moscow in 1990. He graduated from Moscow’s Higher School of Economics in 2010, obtaining a degree in journalism. He worked as a special correspondent for Russia’s Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers and was covering military and military-technical cooperation as well as defense and space industries. In May 2020, Safronov was appointed advisor to the Roscosmos chief for information policy and was curating a number of Roscosmos programs.


tass--2020-07-07--Foreigner who wanted to fight for IS detained in Russia

BARNAUL , June 7 .
/TASS/ .
A foreign national who was planning to fight for the Islamic State ( IS ) terrorist organization has been detained in Russia ’ s Barnaul airport , the press service for the Altai Region regional branch of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) said Tuesday .
`` A Central Asia national born in 1998 was detained in Barnaul Titov International Airport when trying to fly to Moscow to later head to the Middle East to fight in IS armed units , '' the statement reads .
The branch also said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad , where he expressed intention to join the terrorist organization and travel to the conflict zone .
According to the FSB , the detainee was collecting information about places of mass gatherings and particularly was taking pictures for his curators , detailing their configurations and locations .
Moreover , he set up and activated a secret communication channel on the Internet which was meant to be used `` to resolve issues of terrorist nature . ''
The foreigner himself explained that he had done it intentionally to communicate with his `` Mujahideen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched criminal proceedings on the count of preparing to take part in terrorist organization activities .
The Central Asian national has been indicted , he is arrested for two months .

BARNAUL, June 7. /TASS/. A foreign national who was planning to fight for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization has been detained in Russia’s Barnaul airport, the press service for the Altai Region regional branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday.
"A Central Asia national born in 1998 was detained in Barnaul Titov International Airport when trying to fly to Moscow to later head to the Middle East to fight in IS armed units," the statement reads.
The branch also said that the man exchanged letters with a person residing abroad, where he expressed intention to join the terrorist organization and travel to the conflict zone.
According to the FSB, the detainee was collecting information about places of mass gatherings and particularly was taking pictures for his curators, detailing their configurations and locations. Moreover, he set up and activated a secret communication channel on the Internet which was meant to be used "to resolve issues of terrorist nature." The foreigner himself explained that he had done it intentionally to communicate with his "Mujahideen brothers."
The FSB regional branch launched criminal proceedings on the count of preparing to take part in terrorist organization activities. The Central Asian national has been indicted, he is arrested for two months.


tass--2020-07-07--Russia's FSB detains three Hizb ut-Tahrir ringleaders in Crimea

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in Crimea has detained @ @ @ @ @ members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami terror group , outlawed in Russia , the FSB @ @ @ @ @ statement on Tuesday .
`` FSB officers , together with the Interior Ministry and the @ @ @ @ @ have exposed a cell of the Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami international terrorist organization .
Three ringleaders @ @ @ @ @ been detained , '' the statement reads .
According to the FSB , the detained @ @ @ @ @ the Russian Constitution , based on the idea to create the so-called global Caliphate , @ @ @ @ @ overthrow the current government by force .
`` They secretly spread terrorist ideas among Crimeans @ @ @ @ @ '' the FSB added .
A large amount of banned Hizb ut-Tahrir propaganda materials , @ @ @ @ @ devices were seized during searches of their homes .
Criminal cases have been opened against @ @ @

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Crimea has detained three ringleaders and four active members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami terror group, outlawed in Russia, the FSB press service said in a statement on Tuesday.
"FSB officers, together with the Interior Ministry and the National Guard in Crimea, have exposed a cell of the Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami international terrorist organization. Three ringleaders and four active members have been detained," the statement reads.
According to the FSB, the detained were involved in activities violating the Russian Constitution, based on the idea to create the so-called global Caliphate, destroy secular public institutions and overthrow the current government by force.
"They secretly spread terrorist ideas among Crimeans and recruited Crimean Muslims," the FSB added.
A large amount of banned Hizb ut-Tahrir propaganda materials, communication equipment and digital storage devices were seized during searches of their homes. Criminal cases have been opened against the detained.


tass--2020-07-07--Kremlin spokesman supports online voting in future elections

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has expressed support for the use of online voting @ @ @ @ @ `` Everyone who voted online would support this , I think , they would like @ @ @ @ @ the future .
I am one of those people , '' he said on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ of the Russian national vote on constitutional amendments .
He noted that it is only @ @ @ @ @ the vote are still being discussed .
`` The overwhelming majority consider the vote absolutely @ @ @ @ @ their views , '' Peskov said .
Earlier , the spokesman informed reporters that he @ @ @ @ @ constitutional amendments online in his car on the way to work .
In a national @ @ @ @ @ 1 , 77.92 % of voters supported the amendments and 21.27 % voted `` no @ @ @ @ @ 67.97 % .
Peskov said earlier that the Kremlin viewed the vote ’ s outcome @ @ @ @

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has expressed support for the use of online voting in future Russian elections.
"Everyone who voted online would support this, I think, they would like to have this opportunity in the future. I am one of those people," he said on Tuesday, commenting on the outcomes of the Russian national vote on constitutional amendments.
He noted that it is only natural that the results of the vote are still being discussed. "The overwhelming majority consider the vote absolutely legitimate, they are stating their views," Peskov said.
Earlier, the spokesman informed reporters that he had voted on the Russian constitutional amendments online in his car on the way to work.
In a national vote held on June 25-July 1, 77.92% of voters supported the amendments and 21.27% voted "no." Overall turnout was 67.97%. Peskov said earlier that the Kremlin viewed the vote’s outcome as a triumph.


tass--2020-07-07--Outlook for resuming international flights from Russia is hazy, Kremlin says

`` The outlook is hazy .
It is unclear because of the rate of emergence of various new [ coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Europe , in Asia , in various cities , '' he said .
MOSCOW , @ @ @ @ @ Prospects of resuming international air travel from Russia are unclear , said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry @ @ @ @ @ not to open borders to Russians at this stage — Lavrov According to him , @ @ @ @ @ respect is unstable , and changes from day to day . ''
Answering the question @ @ @ @ @ discussed with the Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev the issue of the carrier ’ s secondary @ @ @ @ @ July 6 , the spokesman said : `` I do not possess this information , @ @ @ @ @ '' On Monday , in Kremlin Putin and the Aeroflot CEO discussed the situation in @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
During the meeting the president noted that so far it is difficult @ @ @ @ @ European borders to Russian citizens .

"The outlook is hazy. It is unclear because of the rate of emergence of various new [coronavirus] outbreak hot spots in Europe, in Asia, in various cities," he said.
According to him, "the situation in this respect is unstable, and changes from day to day."
Answering the question whether Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with the Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev the issue of the carrier’s secondary offering during their meeting on July 6, the spokesman said: "I do not possess this information, cannot say anything."
On Monday, in Kremlin Putin and the Aeroflot CEO discussed the situation in the air industry given the coronavirus pandemic. During the meeting the president noted that so far it is difficult to forecast the opening of European borders to Russian citizens.


tass--2020-07-07--Six suspected Hizb ut-Tahrir members detained in Crimea

One suspect is still wanted , according to the latest data obtained by TASS SIMFEROPOL , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Law enforcement officials in Crimea have detained six people suspected of belonging to the Hizb ut-Tahrir ( outlawed in Russia ) international terrorist organization , defense attorney Emil Kurbedinov told TASS on Tuesday .
A source in Crimea ’ s law enforcement earlier reported to TASS that raids related to the Hizb ut-Tahrir case had been conducted in the region .
Lawyer Islyam Velilyaev said that his client , a resident of the Oktyabrskoye settlement of the Krasnogvardeisky District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simferopol .
`` Six people are held in custody , and it is very likely that this is again a group accused of collusion with the Hizb ut-Tahrir which in 2003 was declared in Russia a terrorist organization , '' the defense attorney said .
He added that the raids were conducted in over 10 houses in the Bakhchisaraisky , Krasnogvardeisky , and Simferopolsky districts .
Six people were detained except for the one who was absent at his place of residence .
The attorneys arrived at the crackdown site but were denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Federal Security Service ( FSB ) officials in Crimea in the spring of 2019 intercepted the activity of a structure of the Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organization , detaining 20 of its participants .
Three more were nabbed in Rostov-on-Don during an attempt to enter Ukrainian territory .
Later , two more targets of the criminal investigation were taken into custody while four others took cover abroad , said lawyer Edem Semedlyayev , pointing out that in all , there were 29 suspects involved .
On March 11 , in Crimea four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken into custody .
The FSB Public Relations Center informed TASS that the detainees actively recruited Crimean Muslims and disseminated terrorist ideology .
On March 12 , the court arrested three of them , while one detainee with health issues will remain under house arrest .

One suspect is still wanted, according to the latest data obtained by TASS
SIMFEROPOL, July 7. /TASS/. Law enforcement officials in Crimea have detained six people suspected of belonging to the Hizb ut-Tahrir (outlawed in Russia) international terrorist organization, defense attorney Emil Kurbedinov told TASS on Tuesday.
A source in Crimea’s law enforcement earlier reported to TASS that raids related to the Hizb ut-Tahrir case had been conducted in the region. Lawyer Islyam Velilyaev said that his client, a resident of the Oktyabrskoye settlement of the Krasnogvardeisky District, was transferred after the bust to Simferopol. "Six people are held in custody, and it is very likely that this is again a group accused of collusion with the Hizb ut-Tahrir which in 2003 was declared in Russia a terrorist organization," the defense attorney said.
He added that the raids were conducted in over 10 houses in the Bakhchisaraisky, Krasnogvardeisky, and Simferopolsky districts. Six people were detained except for the one who was absent at his place of residence. The attorneys arrived at the crackdown site but were denied access," the defense attorney said.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) officials in Crimea in the spring of 2019 intercepted the activity of a structure of the Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organization, detaining 20 of its participants. Three more were nabbed in Rostov-on-Don during an attempt to enter Ukrainian territory. Later, two more targets of the criminal investigation were taken into custody while four others took cover abroad, said lawyer Edem Semedlyayev, pointing out that in all, there were 29 suspects involved.
Read also Court sentences Crimean members of Hizb ut-Tahrir
On March 11, in Crimea four more participants of the outlawed organization were taken into custody. The FSB Public Relations Center informed TASS that the detainees actively recruited Crimean Muslims and disseminated terrorist ideology. On March 12, the court arrested three of them, while one detainee with health issues will remain under house arrest.


tass--2020-07-07--Russia to retaliate over UK sanctions imposed over Magnitsky case — Kremlin

`` We can only regret such unfriendly steps .
Of course , the principle of reciprocity will be enforced to the extent that would fit the interests of the Russian Federation , '' the spokesman said .
MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Russia will respond to UK ’ s imposition of personal sanctions over the Magnitsky case to the extent that would fit the Russian interests , Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday .
On July 6 , UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab announced the so-called Magnitsky Amendment to the Sanctions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the House of Commons in May 2018 , and was supposed to enter force immediately after the UK ’ s withdrawal from the European Union .
The amendment is named after Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky , who died in 2009 in the Matrosskaya Tishina detention facility .
London believes that people in the sanctions list were involved in his torture and death .
The list of sanctioned people includes Russian Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin , Deputy Prosecutor General Viktor Grin , Deputy Minister of the Interior Alexei Anichin .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from entering the UK , and their assets in the country , if they have any , will be frozen .
They will be barred from conducting business both inside the UK and via UK citizens ’ mediation .
Besides Russians , the list includes citizens and agencies from Saudi Arabia , Myanmar and North Korea .

"We can only regret such unfriendly steps. Of course, the principle of reciprocity will be enforced to the extent that would fit the interests of the Russian Federation," the spokesman said.
MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Russia will respond to UK’s imposition of personal sanctions over the Magnitsky case to the extent that would fit the Russian interests, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
On July 6, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab announced the so-called Magnitsky Amendment to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill. It was adopted by the House of Commons in May 2018, and was supposed to enter force immediately after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. The amendment is named after Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in 2009 in the Matrosskaya Tishina detention facility. London believes that people in the sanctions list were involved in his torture and death.
The list of sanctioned people includes Russian Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin, Deputy Prosecutor General Viktor Grin, Deputy Minister of the Interior Alexei Anichin. The people in the list have been barred from entering the UK, and their assets in the country, if they have any, will be frozen. They will be barred from conducting business both inside the UK and via UK citizens’ mediation.
Besides Russians, the list includes citizens and agencies from Saudi Arabia, Myanmar and North Korea.


tass--2020-07-07--Almost every development program in Russia aimed at eliminating poverty — Kremlin

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Almost every development program in Russia is aimed at elimination of poverty , although sometimes circumstances prevent their implementation , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Tuesday .
`` Of course , this [ persistent level of poverty ] is a problem that both the president and the Government prioritize , '' the spokesman underscored .
`` Of course , elimination of poverty is what almost every development program is aimed at , be it national projects or anything else . ''
`` Sometimes , certain circumstances complicate the implementation of these plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work stops , '' Peskov said .
He also commented on the results of a sociological study , conducted by Rosgosstrakh Life insurance company and the Perspektiva scientific foundation , who concluded that the monthly income of over 70 % of Russians does not exceed 25,000 rubles ( $ 345 ) , while 45 % of Russians have income of 15,000 rubles ( $ 207 ) .
The spokesman said that he is unaware of the calculation methods and the capabilities of companies that conducted the survey .
`` The sample is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say with certainty that it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions on a federal scale from this sample , '' he added .
Answering a question what income would be enough for Russians , the spokesman said this question should be addressed to the Ministry of Economic Development .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Almost every development program in Russia is aimed at elimination of poverty, although sometimes circumstances prevent their implementation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Tuesday.
"Of course, this [persistent level of poverty] is a problem that both the president and the Government prioritize," the spokesman underscored. "Of course, elimination of poverty is what almost every development program is aimed at, be it national projects or anything else."
"Sometimes, certain circumstances complicate the implementation of these plans, but this does not mean that the work stops," Peskov said.
He also commented on the results of a sociological study, conducted by Rosgosstrakh Life insurance company and the Perspektiva scientific foundation, who concluded that the monthly income of over 70% of Russians does not exceed 25,000 rubles ($345), while 45% of Russians have income of 15,000 rubles ($207). The spokesman said that he is unaware of the calculation methods and the capabilities of companies that conducted the survey.
"The sample is far from the biggest; we can say with certainty that it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions on a federal scale from this sample," he added.
Answering a question what income would be enough for Russians, the spokesman said this question should be addressed to the Ministry of Economic Development.


tass--2020-07-07--Press review: UK sanctions top Russian officials and India to buy jets from Moscow

The United Kingdom has slapped sanctions on 25 Russian citizens allegedly involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case and on 20 Saudi individuals suspected of being involved in the murder of Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi , UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced to the Financial Times earlier .
Experts interviewed by Nezavisimaya Gazeta think that London is able to lead a tougher sanctions policy on its own than within the EU , which may pose a threat to members of the Russian elite .
Among the sanctioned Russian nationals are Head of Russia ’ s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin , Deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Interior Minister Alexei Anichin .
Raab said earlier that the sanctions against Russian nationals would cover `` those individuals involved in the torture and murder of Magnitsky , the lawyer who disclosed the biggest known tax fraud in Russian history . ''
Alexander Tevdoi-Burmuli , an associate professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations ( MGIMO University ) told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that the United Kingdom had announced those sanctions as soon as it could .
`` It is not a surprise at all that this decision has been taken now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own sanctions .
Now , the process is underway , and the list of people on the sanctions list will multiply , '' the expert stated .
Tevdoi-Burmuli assumed that UK sanctions would turn out to be tougher than the EU ’ s restrictions .
Besides , they will be much more unpleasant for members of the Russian elite who own many assets in the UK .
`` Downing Street has its reasons for its tough treatment of some Russian citizens , including the recent diplomatic spat related to the Skripal poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget that London is gravitating towards Washington , and this too can have an impact .
So this is why I think that the UK ’ s sanctions against Russians will end up being tougher than the EU sanctions , '' the expert pointed out .
Vedomosti : India to buy Russian jets to the tune of $ 2.4 bln India ’ s Defense Acquisition Council has greenlighted a new plan for weapon purchases , which includes the acquisition of 33 Russian fighter jets to the tune of about $ 2.4 bln .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ already in its possession and purchase 21 additional ones , which will cost about $ 966 mln .
It is also looking to buy 12 Russian-made Su-30MKI fighters assembled by the local state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ) to the tune of $ 1.4 bln , the council announced in its press release published on July 3 .
Russia and India have been hashing over this deal since 2018 , a source close to Russia ’ s military-technical cooperation bodies told Vedomosti .
The source noted that Moscow would sell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forces .
The contracts may be signed within a year , and preliminary work on fulfilling the conditions of the deal has begun , the source pointed out .
The deliveries of 272 Su-30MKI fighters to India and their assembly by HAL under the 1996 and 2000 contracts were completed in early 2020 .
The Indian government ’ s decision demonstrates that Russia won hands down on such factors as price and speed of delivery .
Besides , the delivery of new jets will help keep jobs in India , Konstantin Makienko , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Strategies and Technologies , told Vedomosti .
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , India ’ s GDP is predicted to grow just by 1.7 % , which turns out to be a 40-year low , Makienko pointed out .
This is why buying expensive fighters such as the Rafale ( the purchase invoice for 36 Rafale jets would total 7 bln euro ) would pose a problem for India .
Even before the pandemic , India was discussing scaling down its ambitions and purchasing equipment that would be assembled within the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ready to sell its technologies for a reasonable price .
The Russian federal government has imposed a record fine on Nornickel , a major Russian nickel and palladium mining company , in the wake of the biggest fuel spill in the Arctic that took place near Norilsk on May 29 .
According to the Federal Environmental , Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia , Nornickel should voluntarily pay 147.7 bln rubles ( approximately over $ 2 bln ) in damages for the spill .
Nornickel stated that so far , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company ’ s shares have dropped by 5 % following the news , Kommersant reports .
`` It is quite clear that this will be the biggest environmental fine in Russian history , '' Director of the Ecology Institute of the Higher School of Economics Boris Morgunov notes .
`` However , it is also clear that this sum is unlikely to be justified , as much more time is needed to estimate the real damage .
So this sum is more like a call for dialogue .
In all probability , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Nornickel has the means and ability to shell out such a sum .
By late 2019 , the company had 172 bln rubles ( about $ 2.39 bln ) in its accounts , and its liquidity cushion surpassed $ 7 bln taking into account the unused lines of credit .
The company ’ s capital investment planned for this year only reaches $ 2.5 bln , and Nornickel expected this sum to grow by about 5-10 % in the wake of the fuel spill .
Nornickel CEO Vladimir Potanin earlier estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spill at about 10 bln rubles ( about $ 139.28 mln ) , not counting the fine imposed by the Russian environmental watchdog .
However , this fine will seriously affect the 2020 net gains and the company ’ s dividends .
`` We want an honest dialogue about what actually takes place within the company , '' Deputy Chief of RUSAL and member of Nornickel ’ s Board of Directors Maxim Poletaev told Kommersant .
`` We are baffled by the fact that the head of the company , whom we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner for 20 years , told the president directly that [ the damages would come up to ] 10 bln rubles , and then the sum grew 15 times… this is very unexpected , '' he said , adding that RUSAL will `` decide on its reaction after the incident comes to a definite and final conclusion . ''
RBC : Russia sees rise in personal bankruptcies during first half of 2020 The number of insolvent Russians climbed 47 % in the first half of 2020 compared to the corresponding period of last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined , RBC stated on Tuesday citing the United Federal Register of Bankruptcy Data .
It noted that in the first half of 2020 , 42,700 citizens went bankrupt .
In the first three months , courts handed down 22,300 bankruptcy rulings , and in April-June , 20,400 bankruptcies were reported .
The biggest spike was recorded in June , when 11,500 Russians were declared insolvent , including individual entrepreneurs , which is 2.2 times higher than in June 2019 .
Head of the register Alexei Yukhnin attributed this spike to the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their standard working procedure in June after the coronavirus restrictions had been lifted .
`` In the period from March 19 to May 11 , courts rarely considered bankruptcy cases of companies and fewer cases of individual bankruptcies .
By the end of the second quarter , after returning to standard operational procedure , courts partly compensated for the shortage of rulings in the previous months , '' Yukhnin told RBC .
According to him , the increase in individual bankruptcies will continue in the second half of the year at a level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among the reasons for the wave of bankruptcies , the expert lists the increased level of citizens ’ awareness and delayed demand .
He noted that pandemic-related factors won ’ t affect bankruptcies until at least the spring of 2021 .
At the same time , the number of company bankruptcies in Russia went down by 26 % in the first half of 2020 compared to last year , with 4,500 legal entities ruled insolvent by courts .
Russians have named the novel coronavirus and everything related to it as their main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing their jobs and incomes , changing their lifestyle ( lockdowns , obligatory mask wearing ) , being fined for violating quarantine measures and so on , CROS reports in its National Index of Anxieties for the second quarter of 2020 .
The constitutional amendments vote , `` a return to the 1990s due to the crisis , '' and the unstable international situation have been listed among the less prominent fears of Russian citizens .
Experts noted that the anxiety caused by the pandemic is unlikely to subside anytime soon , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt for a long time .
The CROS National Index of Anxieties analyzes data from Russian social networks , compiling a ranking of the most discussed topics .
Talk about the coronavirus and its consequences took first place in the ranking .
The greatest number of people are worried that they might lose their jobs and incomes due to the crisis ( with a 253 anxiety level ) , that they would have to change their lifestyle ( which includes the threat of a second wave of the epidemic , self-isolation and obligatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 242.4 ) .
People also mention `` digital slavery '' and fines for violating quarantine measures ( 241.4 anxiety index ) , ruined holidays due to closed borders ( 179.9 ) , and a lack of trust in official COVID-19 statistics ( 111.2 ) .
Other hot topics mentioned by Russians include the fuel spill in Norilsk ( 75.9 anxiety index ) , the lack of quality healthcare care during the epidemic ( 36.9 ) , the constitutional amendments vote ( 33.1 ) , the global arms race and the rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranking documents the main fears and anxieties of citizens at a time when coronavirus restrictions are being lifted .
In some ways , this sums up what Russians have gone through from April to June , CROS analytics director and author of the research Andrei Lebedev notes .
`` People have remembered the control measures imposed on them the most , especially in Moscow , which leads them to fear that the technologies and mechanisms used would be employed in the future under certain circumstances , and not just in the capital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epidemic is the potential loss of jobs and income , it is unlikely to go away anytime soon , since the economic consequences of the epidemic will be felt for a long time , '' the expert stated .
TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews .

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: London slaps sanctions on top Russian officials
Read also Russian Embassy in UK says Moscow may respond to Magnitsky Amendment
The United Kingdom has slapped sanctions on 25 Russian citizens allegedly involved in the Sergei Magnitsky case and on 20 Saudi individuals suspected of being involved in the murder of Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced to the Financial Times earlier. Experts interviewed by Nezavisimaya Gazeta think that London is able to lead a tougher sanctions policy on its own than within the EU, which may pose a threat to members of the Russian elite. Among the sanctioned Russian nationals are Head of Russia’s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, Deputy Prosecutor General Viktor Grin and former Deputy Interior Minister Alexei Anichin. Raab said earlier that the sanctions against Russian nationals would cover "those individuals involved in the torture and murder of Magnitsky, the lawyer who disclosed the biggest known tax fraud in Russian history." Alexander Tevdoi-Burmuli, an associate professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that the United Kingdom had announced those sanctions as soon as it could. "It is not a surprise at all that this decision has been taken now, because London needed time to hammer out its own sanctions. Now, the process is underway, and the list of people on the sanctions list will multiply," the expert stated. Tevdoi-Burmuli assumed that UK sanctions would turn out to be tougher than the EU’s restrictions. Besides, they will be much more unpleasant for members of the Russian elite who own many assets in the UK. "Downing Street has its reasons for its tough treatment of some Russian citizens, including the recent diplomatic spat related to the Skripal poisoning. Of course, we must not forget that London is gravitating towards Washington, and this too can have an impact. So this is why I think that the UK’s sanctions against Russians will end up being tougher than the EU sanctions," the expert pointed out. Vedomosti: India to buy Russian jets to the tune of $2.4 bln
India’s Defense Acquisition Council has greenlighted a new plan for weapon purchases, which includes the acquisition of 33 Russian fighter jets to the tune of about $2.4 bln. India intends to upgrade 56 MiG-29 jets already in its possession and purchase 21 additional ones, which will cost about $966 mln. It is also looking to buy 12 Russian-made Su-30MKI fighters assembled by the local state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to the tune of $1.4 bln, the council announced in its press release published on July 3. Russia and India have been hashing over this deal since 2018, a source close to Russia’s military-technical cooperation bodies told Vedomosti. The source noted that Moscow would sell the MiG-29 fighters available in the Russian Aerospace Forces. The contracts may be signed within a year, and preliminary work on fulfilling the conditions of the deal has begun, the source pointed out. The deliveries of 272 Su-30MKI fighters to India and their assembly by HAL under the 1996 and 2000 contracts were completed in early 2020. The Indian government’s decision demonstrates that Russia won hands down on such factors as price and speed of delivery. Besides, the delivery of new jets will help keep jobs in India, Konstantin Makienko, an expert with the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, told Vedomosti. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s GDP is predicted to grow just by 1.7%, which turns out to be a 40-year low, Makienko pointed out. This is why buying expensive fighters such as the Rafale (the purchase invoice for 36 Rafale jets would total 7 bln euro) would pose a problem for India. Even before the pandemic, India was discussing scaling down its ambitions and purchasing equipment that would be assembled within the country, which benefits Russia, as it is ready to sell its technologies for a reasonable price. Kommersant: Russian government slaps Nornickel with $2-bln fine for Arctic fuel spill
Read also Nornickel allocates $142.72 mln to combat coronavirus
The Russian federal government has imposed a record fine on Nornickel, a major Russian nickel and palladium mining company, in the wake of the biggest fuel spill in the Arctic that took place near Norilsk on May 29. According to the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia, Nornickel should voluntarily pay 147.7 bln rubles (approximately over $2 bln) in damages for the spill. Nornickel stated that so far, it had not received any relevant documents. The company’s shares have dropped by 5% following the news, Kommersant reports. "It is quite clear that this will be the biggest environmental fine in Russian history," Director of the Ecology Institute of the Higher School of Economics Boris Morgunov notes. "However, it is also clear that this sum is unlikely to be justified, as much more time is needed to estimate the real damage. So this sum is more like a call for dialogue. In all probability, it was calculated based on international precedent." Nornickel has the means and ability to shell out such a sum. By late 2019, the company had 172 bln rubles (about $2.39 bln) in its accounts, and its liquidity cushion surpassed $7 bln taking into account the unused lines of credit. The company’s capital investment planned for this year only reaches $2.5 bln, and Nornickel expected this sum to grow by about 5-10% in the wake of the fuel spill. Nornickel CEO Vladimir Potanin earlier estimated the expenses to eliminate the consequences of the spill at about 10 bln rubles (about $139.28 mln), not counting the fine imposed by the Russian environmental watchdog. However, this fine will seriously affect the 2020 net gains and the company’s dividends. "We want an honest dialogue about what actually takes place within the company," Deputy Chief of RUSAL and member of Nornickel’s Board of Directors Maxim Poletaev told Kommersant. "We are baffled by the fact that the head of the company, whom we trust and who has been a managing partner for 20 years, told the president directly that [the damages would come up to] 10 bln rubles, and then the sum grew 15 times… this is very unexpected," he said, adding that RUSAL will "decide on its reaction after the incident comes to a definite and final conclusion." RBC: Russia sees rise in personal bankruptcies during first half of 2020
Read also Almost half of Russian small businesses fail to receive state support — survey
The number of insolvent Russians climbed 47% in the first half of 2020 compared to the corresponding period of last year, while bankruptcies among legal entities declined, RBC stated on Tuesday citing the United Federal Register of Bankruptcy Data. It noted that in the first half of 2020, 42,700 citizens went bankrupt. In the first three months, courts handed down 22,300 bankruptcy rulings, and in April-June, 20,400 bankruptcies were reported. The biggest spike was recorded in June, when 11,500 Russians were declared insolvent, including individual entrepreneurs, which is 2.2 times higher than in June 2019. Head of the register Alexei Yukhnin attributed this spike to the fact that many Russian courts had returned to their standard working procedure in June after the coronavirus restrictions had been lifted. "In the period from March 19 to May 11, courts rarely considered bankruptcy cases of companies and fewer cases of individual bankruptcies. By the end of the second quarter, after returning to standard operational procedure, courts partly compensated for the shortage of rulings in the previous months," Yukhnin told RBC. According to him, the increase in individual bankruptcies will continue in the second half of the year at a level approximately 1.8-2 times higher than last year. Among the reasons for the wave of bankruptcies, the expert lists the increased level of citizens’ awareness and delayed demand. He noted that pandemic-related factors won’t affect bankruptcies until at least the spring of 2021. At the same time, the number of company bankruptcies in Russia went down by 26% in the first half of 2020 compared to last year, with 4,500 legal entities ruled insolvent by courts. Kommersant: Coronavirus pandemic remains biggest fear of Russian citizens
Read also Wildberries to leave half of central office’s employees in remote mode after pandemic


tass--2020-07-07--Russian-American dialogue on Afghanistan irked some political circles in US, official says

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Russia and the United States have established a regular dialogue on Afghanistan , which could have bothered certain political circles in Washington , Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev stated in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty weekly , commenting on the publications about the alleged bounties on US servicemen that Moscow allegedly offered to Afghan militants .
`` Now , their media has suddenly latched on to Afghanistan , which our countries have established a regular dialogue on ; apparently , this fact bothered certain political circles , '' Patrushev said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperate in a wide range of fields .
Countering terrorism is a field where we have concrete practical results , '' Patrushev underscored .
In this regard , he continued , any allegations that Russia conspired with the Taliban , especially in a bid to assassinate US servicemen , are baseless .
`` I would like to believe that in the future , the American media will be more responsible with their publications and won ’ t fuel additional strife between Moscow and Washington .
We can only hope that US political circles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to score an electoral win at Russia ’ s expense , '' the security official said .
`` Such a hostile thrust in our direction is hardly likely to facilitate the restoration of the atmosphere of trust , which both Moscow and Washington have been proclaiming for several years already , '' the secretary underscored .
Moscow has never cooperated with the Taliban , outlawed in Russia , the Security Council secretary went on .
`` Frankly speaking , it was the United States that laid the foundation for the Taliban movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1980s , Washington had shelled out billions of dollars to support the Afghan mujahideen , `` who later formed the bulk of terrorist forces not only in Afghanistan but also in the entire region . ''
`` National Security Advisor to US President [ Jimmy Carter ] Zbigniew Brzezinski ’ s revelations are well-known , he admitted that Washington had sought to sponsor Afghan terrorists to satisfy its geopolitical goal , '' Patrushev noted .
`` Russia , in contrast , has never cooperated with the Taliban , '' the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian Supreme Court had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group in 2003 .
When commenting on media reports about Russia ’ s alleged ‘ bounties ’ to Afghan militants to kill US troops , Patrushev said that `` these are ridiculous allegations . ''
According to him , those who make such statements either know little about the situation in Afghanistan or `` deliberately seek to distort the truth . ''
On June 26 , The New York Times published an article , alleging that an unidentified division of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servicemen from the US-led international coalition in Afghanistan .
The newspaper claimed that such conclusions by US intelligence services were presented to President Donald Trump several months ago , while the White House National Security Council discussed this issue in late March .
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called these allegations a lie and a `` total hoax . ''
On June 27 , the Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the initial publication on this issue as intentionally false .
According to the ministry , `` this piece of straightforward fake news clearly illustrates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have to come up with such nonsense instead of inventing something more credible . ''
On June 28 , Trump tweeted that US intelligence labelled the reports of the alleged Russian attempts to offer bounties to the Afghan militants for assassinating US servicemen as false .
Trump speculated that The New York Times , who published the initial report , could have published `` another fabricated Russia Hoax , '' in a bid to `` make Republicans look bad . ''

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have established a regular dialogue on Afghanistan, which could have bothered certain political circles in Washington, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev stated in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty weekly, commenting on the publications about the alleged bounties on US servicemen that Moscow allegedly offered to Afghan militants.
"Now, their media has suddenly latched on to Afghanistan, which our countries have established a regular dialogue on; apparently, this fact bothered certain political circles," Patrushev said.
"Russian and American intelligence services cooperate in a wide range of fields. Countering terrorism is a field where we have concrete practical results," Patrushev underscored.
In this regard, he continued, any allegations that Russia conspired with the Taliban, especially in a bid to assassinate US servicemen, are baseless.
"I would like to believe that in the future, the American media will be more responsible with their publications and won’t fuel additional strife between Moscow and Washington. We can only hope that US political circles will settle their internal issues without trying to score an electoral win at Russia’s expense," the security official said.
"Such a hostile thrust in our direction is hardly likely to facilitate the restoration of the atmosphere of trust, which both Moscow and Washington have been proclaiming for several years already," the secretary underscored.
Moscow has never cooperated with the Taliban, outlawed in Russia, the Security Council secretary went on. "Frankly speaking, it was the United States that laid the foundation for the Taliban movement," he pointed out, adding that in the 1980s, Washington had shelled out billions of dollars to support the Afghan mujahideen, "who later formed the bulk of terrorist forces not only in Afghanistan but also in the entire region."
"National Security Advisor to US President [Jimmy Carter] Zbigniew Brzezinski’s revelations are well-known, he admitted that Washington had sought to sponsor Afghan terrorists to satisfy its geopolitical goal," Patrushev noted.
"Russia, in contrast, has never cooperated with the Taliban," the top security official emphasized, pointing out that the Russian Supreme Court had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group in 2003.
When commenting on media reports about Russia’s alleged ‘bounties’ to Afghan militants to kill US troops, Patrushev said that "these are ridiculous allegations." According to him, those who make such statements either know little about the situation in Afghanistan or "deliberately seek to distort the truth."
About the report
On June 26, The New York Times published an article, alleging that an unidentified division of the Russian military intelligence goaded Taliban militants into attacking servicemen from the US-led international coalition in Afghanistan. The newspaper claimed that such conclusions by US intelligence services were presented to President Donald Trump several months ago, while the White House National Security Council discussed this issue in late March.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called these allegations a lie and a "total hoax." On June 27, the Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the initial publication on this issue as intentionally false.
According to the ministry, "this piece of straightforward fake news clearly illustrates the low intellectual capabilities of American intelligence propagandists, who have to come up with such nonsense instead of inventing something more credible."
On June 28, Trump tweeted that US intelligence labelled the reports of the alleged Russian attempts to offer bounties to the Afghan militants for assassinating US servicemen as false. Trump speculated that The New York Times, who published the initial report, could have published "another fabricated Russia Hoax," in a bid to "make Republicans look bad."


tass--2020-07-07--Advisor to Roscosmos CEO apprehended on suspicion of treason

OSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Ivan Safronov , an advisor to the Roscosmos CEO on informational policy was @ @ @ @ @ treason , the state corporation told TASS , adding that Safronov ’ s detention is @ @ @ @ @ occupation .
`` The Roscosmos press service has announced that the investigative agencies detained Safronov @ @ @ @ @ CEO of Roscosmos today , '' the state corporation said .
Roscosmos disclosed that Safronov @ @ @ @ @ `` An investigation is underway , '' the press service said , adding that the @ @ @ @ @ the investigation .
Safronov was born in Moscow in 1990 .
In 2010 , he @ @ @ @ @ of Economics as a journalist .
Between 2010 and 2020 , he worked at Kommersant @ @ @ @ @ covering military and defense cooperation , the military-industrial complex and the space industry .
In @ @ @ @ @ to the post of advisor to the Roscosmos CEO on informational policy .

OSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Ivan Safronov, an advisor to the Roscosmos CEO on informational policy was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of treason, the state corporation told TASS, adding that Safronov’s detention is not connected to his current occupation.
"The Roscosmos press service has announced that the investigative agencies detained Safronov, an advisor to the CEO of Roscosmos today," the state corporation said. Roscosmos disclosed that Safronov was charged with treason. "An investigation is underway," the press service said, adding that the corporation is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Safronov was born in Moscow in 1990. In 2010, he graduated from the High School of Economics as a journalist. Between 2010 and 2020, he worked at Kommersant and briefly at Vedomosti, covering military and defense cooperation, the military-industrial complex and the space industry. In May, Safronov was appointed to the post of advisor to the Roscosmos CEO on informational policy.


tass--2020-07-07--Russia documents 6,368 cases of COVID-19 in past 24 hours

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Russia has documented 6,368 cases of COVID-19 , a disease caused by the @ @ @ @ @ past 24 hours , with the daily increase rate reaching a record low of 0.9 @ @ @ @ @ center informed reporters on Tuesday .
In the past week , the increase rate has @ @ @ @ @ In the past 12 days , under 7,000 cases of infection have been reported daily @ @ @ @ @ those infected in Russia has reached 694,230 .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Russia has documented 6,368 cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, with the daily increase rate reaching a record low of 0.9%, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Tuesday.
In the past week, the increase rate has not surpassed 1%. In the past 12 days, under 7,000 cases of infection have been reported daily. The total number of those infected in Russia has reached 694,230.


tass--2020-07-07--Moscow never cooperated with Taliban, top security official says

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Moscow has never cooperated with the Taliban , outlawed in Russia , Russian @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty weekly .
`` `` Frankly speaking @ @ @ @ @ States that laid the foundation for the Taliban movement , '' he pointed out , @ @ @ @ @ , Washington had spent billions of dollars to support Afghan mujahideen , `` who later @ @ @ @ @ forces not only in Afghanistan but also in the entire region . ''
`` Russia @ @ @ @ @ never cooperated with the Taliban , '' Patrushev emphasized , pointing out that the Russian @ @ @ @ @ Taliban as a terrorist group in 2003 .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Moscow has never cooperated with the Taliban, outlawed in Russia, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty weekly.
""Frankly speaking, it was the United States that laid the foundation for the Taliban movement," he pointed out, adding that in the 1980s, Washington had spent billions of dollars to support Afghan mujahideen, "who later formed the bulk of terrorist forces not only in Afghanistan but also in the entire region."
"Russia, in contrast, has never cooperated with the Taliban," Patrushev emphasized, pointing out that the Russian Supreme Court had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group in 2003.


tass--2020-07-07--Reflexis announced that Maxima has selected Reflexis ONE™ to improve store productivity

DEDHAM , Massachusetts and LONDON , July 7 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reflexis Systems , the leading provider of intelligent workforce management and execution solutions for multi-site businesses in retail , food service , hospitality and banking , today announced that Maxima , one of the largest Latvian retail chains , has selected Reflexis ONE™ to improve store productivity and efficiency .
Maxima Latvia will leverage Reflexis Real-Time Task Manager™ and Q-Walk™ across 175 stores for all of its 7,400+ employees in the region .
The introduction of these solutions will allow Maxima Latvia to increase the efficiency of store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reflexis ONE is part of Maxima 's versatile investment programme in new retail technologies to benefit their stores and employees .
Reflexis will support the supermarket chain to ensure its store employees , managers and district managers save time , improve productivity and task execution through the use of mobile device technology .
Maxima will also be able to increase the transparency of completed tasks and provide a platform for centralised access to audits and reporting systems .
`` We are excited to be working with such a well-respected retailer that has more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said OP Choudhary , Managing Director EMEA , Reflexis .
`` Maxima Latvia has its sights set on revolutionising their store operations and we are proud to provide them with the tools to achieve their future goals . ''
`` Innovative , well-considered technologies add significant value to Maxima 's store operations , making it easier for employees to complete their daily tasks by helping to balance their workload , ensuring a more convenient shopping experience for customers , '' said Viktors Troicins , CEO of Maxima Latvia .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer high-quality products at accessible prices , significantly supporting families throughout Latvia .
We are particularly pleased to be taking our next step in digitalisation together with the leaders in innovation and technology sector thus bringing added value to our customers and employees . ''
Reflexis Systems is the leading provider of intelligent workforce management , execution and communication solutions for multi-site organisations in retail , food service , hospitality and banking .
The Reflexis ONE™ intelligent work platform is used by our customers across the globe to simplify execution , improve communication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 275 leaders in retail , food service , hospitality and banking are leveraging Reflexis ONE™ to achieve measurable improvements in customer engagement & employee productivity and retention .
Reflexis Systems is privately held and headquartered in Dedham , Massachusetts and has offices in Atlanta , Columbus , London , Düsseldorf , and Pune ( India ) , with additional sales presence across Europe and Latin America .
For further information , please visit .

DEDHAM, Massachusetts and LONDON, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reflexis Systems, the leading provider of intelligent workforce management and execution solutions for multi-site businesses in retail, food service, hospitality and banking, today announced that Maxima, one of the largest Latvian retail chains, has selected Reflexis ONE™ to improve store productivity and efficiency.
Maxima Latvia will leverage Reflexis Real-Time Task Manager™ and Q-Walk™ across 175 stores for all of its 7,400+ employees in the region. The introduction of these solutions will allow Maxima Latvia to increase the efficiency of store compliance and auditing. The selection of Reflexis ONE is part of Maxima's versatile investment programme in new retail technologies to benefit their stores and employees.
Reflexis will support the supermarket chain to ensure its store employees, managers and district managers save time, improve productivity and task execution through the use of mobile device technology. Maxima will also be able to increase the transparency of completed tasks and provide a platform for centralised access to audits and reporting systems.
"We are excited to be working with such a well-respected retailer that has more than 20 years in the grocery sector," said OP Choudhary, Managing Director EMEA, Reflexis. "Maxima Latvia has its sights set on revolutionising their store operations and we are proud to provide them with the tools to achieve their future goals."
"Innovative, well-considered technologies add significant value to Maxima's store operations, making it easier for employees to complete their daily tasks by helping to balance their workload, ensuring a more convenient shopping experience for customers," said Viktors Troicins, CEO of Maxima Latvia. "This allows us to increase productivity and therefore offer high-quality products at accessible prices, significantly supporting families throughout Latvia. We are particularly pleased to be taking our next step in digitalisation together with the leaders in innovation and technology sector thus bringing added value to our customers and employees."
About Reflexis Systems, Inc.
Reflexis Systems is the leading provider of intelligent workforce management, execution and communication solutions for multi-site organisations in retail, food service, hospitality and banking.
The Reflexis ONE™ intelligent work platform is used by our customers across the globe to simplify execution, improve communication and optimise labour decisions. Today, over 275 leaders in retail, food service, hospitality and banking are leveraging Reflexis ONE™ to achieve measurable improvements in customer engagement & employee productivity and retention.
Reflexis Systems is privately held and headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts and has offices in Atlanta, Columbus, London, Düsseldorf, and Pune (India), with additional sales presence across Europe and Latin America. For further information, please visit www.Reflexisinc.com .
Follow Reflexis on: LinkedIn | Blog | Twitter | YouTube
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967455/Reflexis_Logo.jpg
CONTACT: Reflexis Systems, Caroline Goatley, +44 (0) 1256 857319, Marketing Manager, EMEA, caroline.goatley@reflexisinc.com; Peter Czyryca, +1 (781) 493-3400 x351, Manager, Public Relations & Analyst Relations, Peter.Czyryca@reflexisinc.com


tass--2020-07-07--Moscow’s COVID-19 recoveries grow by 2,066

MOSCOW , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
The number of people in Moscow who have recovered from COVID-19 grew by @ @ @ @ @ hours reaching 159,718 , Deputy Mayor for Social Development Issues Anastasia Rakova said on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ recoveries in Moscow continues to grow .
Another 2,066 patients recovered after treatment in the @ @ @ @ @ total number of recoveries has climbed to 159,718 , '' she said .
According to @ @ @ @ @ to remain under medical supervision receive the necessary recommendations before leaving the hospital .
Those @ @ @ @ @ are offered to become blood plasma donors .
People aged between 18 and 55 who @ @ @ @ @ become blood plasma donors , provided they don ’ t have chronic illnesses and test @ @ @ @ @ B and C .

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The number of people in Moscow who have recovered from COVID-19 grew by 2,066 in the past 24 hours reaching 159,718, Deputy Mayor for Social Development Issues Anastasia Rakova said on Tuesday.
"The number of recoveries in Moscow continues to grow. Another 2,066 patients recovered after treatment in the past 24 hours. The total number of recoveries has climbed to 159,718," she said.
According to Rakova, patients who need to remain under medical supervision receive the necessary recommendations before leaving the hospital. Those who recover from the disease are offered to become blood plasma donors.
People aged between 18 and 55 who have recovered from COVID-19 can become blood plasma donors, provided they don’t have chronic illnesses and test negative for HIV, Hepatitis B and C.


tass--2020-07-07--Webnovel Launches Webnovel Spirity Awards Spring 2020 to Nurture More Talented Authors

SINGAPORE , July 7 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Webnovel ( `` the Company '' ) , the global e-publishing arm of China Literature ( 0772.HK ) , a leading online literature and IP incubator company , has kicked off Webnovel Spirity Awards Spring 2020 and encouraged authors around the world to submit their works to win up to US $ 10,000 .
In a bid to nurture more aspiring authors , Webnovel is accepting English-language works from writers globally - whether they are bedroom novelists or professional authors .
Participants can submit their works in six themes : apocalypse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolution , LitRPG , and comedy .
Each award category can have more than one winner , who will each receive US $ 10,000 .
The winning works will be chosen based on the commercial value of the work , the regularity of the work 's releases , and the author 's popularity among readers .
The Webnovel platform provides one-to-one editorial support , and the Company 's content editors will work closely with authors to run campaigns and inform them of the latest content trends .
Webnovel views authors as its most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missions of Webnovel is to help authors monetize their works to encourage more talented writers to let their creative juices flow .
Online literature publishing is different from physical publishing and is a new form of content creation .
Webnovel 's model enables authors to release their finished or unfinished works part by part .
Authors can write while readers consume , making it easier for writers to collect feedback from readers .
Readers can also closely communicate with authors on Webnovel 's platform .
Previously , Webnovel successfully held a similar contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out about US $ 206,000 of prizes , shared by a total of 148 participants .
Learn more about the award : https : //activity.webnovel.com/noah/857910915/index Webnovel is an online , global literature platform .
It has more than 60,000 international authors and more than 200 language translators .
Webnovel had published over 100,000 original novels and aggregated more than 60 million visitors globally .
China Literature contains 8.1 million authors and 12.2 million works of literature covering more than 200 genres , and has successfully created a large number of literary works such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graver Robbers ' Chronicles , Nirvana in Fire , The King 's Avatar , which were adapted into films , TV series , animations , comics , and games .
Tencent is its shareholder and strategic partner .

SINGAPORE, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Webnovel ("the Company"), the global e-publishing arm of China Literature (0772.HK), a leading online literature and IP incubator company, has kicked off Webnovel Spirity Awards Spring 2020 and encouraged authors around the world to submit their works to win up to US$10,000.
In a bid to nurture more aspiring authors, Webnovel is accepting English-language works from writers globally - whether they are bedroom novelists or professional authors. Participants can submit their works in six themes: apocalypse, sweet love, knights and magic, evolution, LitRPG, and comedy. Each award category can have more than one winner, who will each receive US$10,000. The winning works will be chosen based on the commercial value of the work, the regularity of the work's releases, and the author's popularity among readers.
The Webnovel platform provides one-to-one editorial support, and the Company's content editors will work closely with authors to run campaigns and inform them of the latest content trends.
Webnovel views authors as its most important asset. One of the core missions of Webnovel is to help authors monetize their works to encourage more talented writers to let their creative juices flow.
Online literature publishing is different from physical publishing and is a new form of content creation. Webnovel's model enables authors to release their finished or unfinished works part by part. Authors can write while readers consume, making it easier for writers to collect feedback from readers. Readers can also closely communicate with authors on Webnovel's platform.
Previously, Webnovel successfully held a similar contest in the Philippines. The platform put out about US$206,000 of prizes, shared by a total of 148 participants.
Learn more about the award:
https://activity.webnovel.com/noah/857910915/index
About Webnovel
Webnovel is an online, global literature platform. It has more than 60,000 international authors and more than 200 language translators. Webnovel had published over 100,000 original novels and aggregated more than 60 million visitors globally. China Literature contains 8.1 million authors and 12.2 million works of literature covering more than 200 genres, and has successfully created a large number of literary works such as Candle in the Tomb, The Graver Robbers' Chronicles, Nirvana in Fire, The King's Avatar, which were adapted into films, TV series, animations, comics, and games. Tencent is its shareholder and strategic partner.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200417/Webnovel_Launches_Webnovel_Spirity_Awards_Spring_2020_Nurture_More_Talented.jpg
CONTACT: Cheng Cheng, +86-21-6187-0500-81504, press@webnovel.com


tass--2020-07-07--Kazakhstan’s coronavirus cases surpass 49,000

NUR-SULTAN , July 7 .
/TASS/ .
Kazakhstan ’ s doctors confirmed 1,109 new coronavirus cases , including those without any symptoms , and the total case tally reached 49,683 , the Health Ministry ’ s press service said on Tuesday .
`` In the past day , 1,109 cases of coronavirus infection were recorded in Kazakhstan .
Of them 649 [ are virus carriers ] without any clinical implications , '' the statement said .
Some 0.2 % of 18.7 mln Kazakh citizens have contracted the virus .
In the past day 323 people were discharged , taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A day earlier the ministry reported about 304 recoveries .
The death toll from the coronavirus in Kazakhstan has climbed to 264 .
As of July 4 , a total of 1,590,144 tests for COVID-19 were conducted .
Kazakhstan introduced a state of emergency over the spread of COVID-19 on March 16 until May 11 , but quarantine measures in various regions of the republic are still in place .
Amid the worsening epidemiological situation the authorities decided to impose additional restrictions since July 5 for 14 days , which could be extended @ @ @

NUR-SULTAN, July 7. /TASS/. Kazakhstan’s doctors confirmed 1,109 new coronavirus cases, including those without any symptoms, and the total case tally reached 49,683, the Health Ministry’s press service said on Tuesday.
"In the past day, 1,109 cases of coronavirus infection were recorded in Kazakhstan. Of them 649 [are virus carriers] without any clinical implications," the statement said. Some 0.2% of 18.7 mln Kazakh citizens have contracted the virus.
In the past day 323 people were discharged, taking the total number of recoveries to 16,183. A day earlier the ministry reported about 304 recoveries.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Kazakhstan has climbed to 264. As of July 4, a total of 1,590,144 tests for COVID-19 were conducted.
Kazakhstan introduced a state of emergency over the spread of COVID-19 on March 16 until May 11, but quarantine measures in various regions of the republic are still in place. Amid the worsening epidemiological situation the authorities decided to impose additional restrictions since July 5 for 14 days, which could be extended or tightened.