tass--2020-12-17--Bitcoin price surpasses $23,000, hitting fresh all-time high

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
The price of Bitcoin soared by 8.1 % during the trading session on @ @ @ @ @ of $ 23,090 as it hit a fresh all-time high , according to the trading @ @ @ @ @ Moscow time .
As of 12:26 am , the Bitcoin price equaled $ 23,110 ( @ @ @ @ @ is a cryptocurrency invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using @ @ @ @ @ It is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator that can @ @ @ @ @ user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without intermediaries .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The price of Bitcoin soared by 8.1% during the trading session on Thursday reaching the peak level of $23,090 as it hit a fresh all-time high, according to the trading data as of 12:06 am Moscow time.
As of 12:26 am, the Bitcoin price equaled $23,110 (+8.2%).
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto.
It is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without intermediaries.


tass--2020-12-17--Putin hopes some problems in relations with US will be solved under Biden

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his annual news conference on Thursday he hopes @ @ @ @ @ in Russian-US relations will be solved under Joe Biden ’ s administration .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ US president will understand what is going on - he is a person , who @ @ @ @ @ and foreign policy .
We expect that all problems , which emerged , or at @ @ @ @ @ be ironed out under the new administration , '' Putin said .
On December 14 @ @ @ @ @ convened and confirmed Joe Biden ’ s election victory .
The Democrat received 306 votes @ @ @ @ @ Trump secured 232 votes .
With 538 electors , a candidate needs to get 270 @ @ @ @ @ the office of President of the United States .
The inauguration ceremony of the President-Elect @ @ @ @ @ on January 20 .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin told his annual news conference on Thursday he hopes that at least some problems in Russian-US relations will be solved under Joe Biden’s administration.
"We presume that the newly elected US president will understand what is going on - he is a person, who has experience in both domestic and foreign policy. We expect that all problems, which emerged, or at least some of them will be ironed out under the new administration," Putin said.
On December 14, the US Electoral College convened and confirmed Joe Biden’s election victory. The Democrat received 306 votes, while incumbent President Donald Trump secured 232 votes. With 538 electors, a candidate needs to get 270 votes to be elected to the office of President of the United States. The inauguration ceremony of the President-Elect is due to be held on January 20.


tass--2020-12-17--Russia bracing for attempts to interfere in its 2021 elections from abroad, says Putin

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain that there will be attempts to interfere in Russia ’ s 2021 elections from abroad , but the country is getting ready for this .
`` Of course , there will be attempts to intervene .
They do this all along .
And not only in our elections , but around the world .
It is a global policy - bases around the world and intervention around the world .
We know about this and we are getting ready for this . ''
Russia , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this effectively only if an overwhelming majority of Russian citizens is aware that this is an act of intervention and that Russia is obliged to repel this , that it is impermissible and that Russia has the right to determine its future on its own .
`` This is an extremely important internal feature of our society .
For this reason , the sentiment of bloggers on the Internet and mass media ’ s determination to defend ourselves is crucial .
Safeguarding our sovereignty is essential , '' Putin said .
In 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels , including elections of State Duma members , on September 19 .
Russian political system makes it possible to extend the spectrum of political parties that can participate in elections , but the final decision remains in the voters ’ hands , Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference .
`` Our political system is developing ; does it make it possible for larger number of political powers , political parties to participate in nationwide electoral campaigns ?
Yes , it does , '' Putin said .
He also touched upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is it time for old political heavyweights to give way ?
This is neither up to new parties nor the political heavyweights , the traditional parties , to decide .
The citizens will decide on this .
It is up to the voters to decide , they decide during elections , whom to support , '' the president said .
According to the president , up to 16 parties will be able to participate in elections without collecting signatures .
`` In accordance with the current law , these [ parties ] obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in doing so , they obtained right to try their might on the nationwide political arena .
I wish them success , but I would like to reiterate : it is the voter who decides whom to elect , '' Putin underscored .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain that there will be attempts to interfere in Russia’s 2021 elections from abroad, but the country is getting ready for this.
"Of course, there will be attempts to intervene. They do this all along. And not only in our elections, but around the world. It is a global policy - bases around the world and intervention around the world. We know about this and we are getting ready for this."
Russia, he said, will be able to fend off this effectively only if an overwhelming majority of Russian citizens is aware that this is an act of intervention and that Russia is obliged to repel this, that it is impermissible and that Russia has the right to determine its future on its own.
"This is an extremely important internal feature of our society. For this reason, the sentiment of bloggers on the Internet and mass media’s determination to defend ourselves is crucial. Safeguarding our sovereignty is essential," Putin said.
In 2021, Russia will hold elections of different levels, including elections of State Duma members, on September 19.
Russian political parties
Russian political system makes it possible to extend the spectrum of political parties that can participate in elections, but the final decision remains in the voters’ hands, Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference.
"Our political system is developing; does it make it possible for larger number of political powers, political parties to participate in nationwide electoral campaigns? Yes, it does," Putin said.
He also touched upon the issue of new parties.
"Is it time for old political heavyweights to give way? This is neither up to new parties nor the political heavyweights, the traditional parties, to decide. The citizens will decide on this. It is up to the voters to decide, they decide during elections, whom to support," the president said.
According to the president, up to 16 parties will be able to participate in elections without collecting signatures.
"In accordance with the current law, these [parties] obtained representation in Russian regions, and, in doing so, they obtained right to try their might on the nationwide political arena. I wish them success, but I would like to reiterate: it is the voter who decides whom to elect," Putin underscored.


tass--2020-12-17--Putin highlights 97% effectiveness of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
The effectiveness of Russia ’ s coronavirus vaccine is at 97 % , President of Russia Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference on Thursday .
`` Russia is the first country in the world , which has invented , we could say , and started to produce the vaccine of both the Gamaleya scientific institute and the Novosibirsk-based Vector center .
And we have a good vaccine [ that is ] both safe and effective - 95 % and higher - and specialists say its level of protection reaches 96-97 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president expressed confidence that Russia ’ s cooperation on the coronavirus vaccine with AstraZeneca , a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company , will yield a good result .
`` Our foreign colleagues , thank God , have also turned their face toward us and are ready for cooperation in some issues where they have failed .
The British-Swedish company AstraZeneca is ready to work together with us and is signing a respective deal now .
This is very good , we are very glad when specialists at such a high level ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good company , which is internationally known ) unite their efforts , including with Russian partners .
I ’ m sure that this will be a very good result both for our citizens and the rest of the world , '' Putin said .
On August 11 , Russia became the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine , which was named Sputnik V. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology .
The preparation ’ s post-registration trials began in Moscow on September 7 and volunteers received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Overall , the trials involve 40,000 people , 10,000 of whom received a placebo .
The Vector center obtained the Russian Health Ministry ’ s permission for the clinical trials of its vaccine on volunteers on July 24 .
The trials came to an end on September 30 .
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on October 14 that the vaccine developed by the Vector center had received a registration certificate .
On November 16 , Russia ’ s Health Ministry gave the go-ahead to the Vector center to hold post-registration trials of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On November 18 , permission to carry out trials on 3,000 volunteers was issued .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The effectiveness of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine is 97%, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference on Thursday.
"Russia is the first country in the world, which has invented, we could say, and started to produce the vaccine of both the Gamaleya scientific institute and the Novosibirsk-based Vector center. And we have a good vaccine [that is] both safe and effective - 95% and higher - and specialists say its level of protection reaches 96-97%," Putin noted.
Cooperation with AstraZeneca
The Russian president expressed confidence that Russia’s cooperation on the coronavirus vaccine with AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, will yield a good result.
"Our foreign colleagues, Thank God, have also turned their face toward us and are ready for cooperation in some issues where they have failed. The British-Swedish company AstraZeneca is ready to work together with us and is signing a respective deal now. This is very good, we are very glad when specialists at such a high level (and this is a major and a good company, which is internationally known) unite their efforts, including with Russian partners. I’m sure that this will be a very good result both for our citizens and the rest of the world," Putin said.
On August 11, Russia became the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine, which was named Sputnik V. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The preparation’s post-registration trials began in Moscow on September 7 and volunteers received the first vaccine on September 9. Overall, the trials involve 40,000 people, 10,000 of whom received a placebo.
The Vector center obtained the Russian Health Ministry’s permission for the clinical trials of its vaccine on volunteers on July 24. The trials came to an end on September 30. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on October 14 that the vaccine developed by the Vector center had received a registration certificate.
On November 16, Russia’s Health Ministry gave the go-ahead to the Vector center to hold post-registration trials of its EpiVacCorona vaccine on volunteers aged over 60. On November 18, permission to carry out trials on 3,000 volunteers was issued.


tass--2020-12-17--Press review: Putin to hold annual news conference and US aims to push Russia out of Libya

This year , Vladimir Putin ’ s annual news conference will be held in a new format - `` with elements of a direct line . ''
Amid the challenging epidemiological situation , the president will answer questions from his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo , outside Moscow .
The COVID-19 pandemic is highly likely to dominate the upcoming event , experts interviewed by Izvestia said .
The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and the Federation Council expect a discussion on the issues related to social guarantees , while the Civic Chamber believes that the head of state will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Political scientists hope to hear an evaluation of the fight against coronavirus , and think that ahead of the New Year the president will focus on a positive agenda .
This mode of communication will help to address many concerns of Russians , experts note .
`` There is one key issue , which is in the spotlight .
This is the pandemic and the challenges people are facing due to it in their daily lives .
There will be an evaluation of the steps taken by the authorities in overcoming the negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in general .
When will we return to normal ?
When will we live better than in early 2020 ?
This is a major concern and this will be a key topic , '' said Chairman of the Board at the Civil Society Development Foundation Konstantin Kostin .
Director for political analysis at INSOMAR company , sociologist Dmitry Poturemsky believes that Putin ’ s news conference is a guarantee that many issues that really concern Russians will be ironed out .
`` If any problem and any particular case grabs the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a solution should be expected .
The news conference is very important from this point of view , '' the expert noted .
Alexander Brod , a member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights , believes that the news conference will help sum up problems and offer the head of state an opportunity to issue orders to sort out issues .
It ’ s very important for people to listen to the president ’ s view on key issues of the outgoing year , Secretary of the Civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be remembered for the pandemic and the new global challenges that the entire world has faced .
We saw the president ’ s support in solving all problems , which were sensitive for Russians .
We expect that at the news conference once again a course will be confirmed to aid Russians , '' she told the newspaper .
Nezavisimaya Gazeta : US seeks to elbow Russia out of Libya Russian and US diplomats have traded jabs on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region .
While on a working visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed Washington for banning regional states from normally cooperating with Moscow .
This came as a response to a statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who claimed that Russia posed a threat to stability in the Mediterranean .
The top US diplomat spotlighted the Libyan conflict , alleging that Moscow had violated an arms embargo to Libya , giving a helping hand to Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar .
`` The transition process , which is now underway in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather favorable conditions for those groups of influence inside Libya , which seek decisive steps , '' Grigory Lukyanov , a senior lecturer with the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Higher School of Economics ’ School of Political Science , told Nezavisimaya Gazeta .
`` In his turn , Haftar has repeatedly shown his skill to take advantage of such instances .
It ’ s difficult to say how he will act under the current conditions .
As we remember , six months ago various observers predicted that Haftar would end as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the situation turned out to be more complicated . ''
The Biden administration ’ s Libya policy is still unclear , however it announced plans on using sanctions and is likely to back a tentative eastern coalition in Libya against Turkey ’ s expansionism .
However , Biden has emphasized the importance of values in US policy and the accusations against Haftar referring to war crimes could make him an unacceptable figure for the White House , according to the expert .
`` Here is one more issue - Biden is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats to US interests both in the Middle East and in the world , '' Lukyanov mentioned .
It ’ s highly likely that in the first half of 2021 new sanctions will be imposed on Russian companies and Russian assets in Libya , he pointed out .
Officials in Transnistria , Moldova ’ s breakaway region , have asked Moscow to ease the procedure of granting Russian citizenship .
The idea is that all citizens who wish to get Russian passports should be allowed to do so at home , without traveling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were working on the issue and hoped that it would be ironed out under a Donbass-style arrangement through a presidential decree , Kommersant writes .
Although the amendments to the law `` On Russian citizenship '' passed this July simplified the procedure of getting Russian passports for citizens of Moldova , Ukraine , Belarus and Kazakhstan , this does not concern Moldovan and Ukrainian passport holders .
`` These amendments don ’ t work for us , '' a source in Transnistrian state structures told the newspaper .
`` The citizenship of another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtaining Russian citizenship and we want to get a Russian passport via a simplified procedure on the spot , without coming to Russia , '' the source said .
Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin , who met with Transnistrian officials , said that today the procedure under which foreigners , who don ’ t live in Russia , could become Russians , was confirmed by the president ’ s decree last year only in regard to citizens of the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk People ’ s Republics .
However , they also have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Transnistria ’ s case , it does not have a common border with Russia unlike Donbass , so this is not an option , the lawmaker said .
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs , Relations with Compatriots and Eurasian Integration Leonid Kalashnikov notes that the Donbass arrangement should apply to Transnistria , but without the need to go to Russia to do the paperwork .
`` A presidential decree is needed and we are trying to initiate this , '' he said , noting that he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration and the Foreign Ministry several months ago .
According to him , the newly elected Moldovan President Maia Sandu , who recently called for withdrawing the Russian military from Transnistria , was contributing to a speedy solution to the issue .
The World Bank has suggested that Russia should introduce a package of measures aimed at boosting the economy .
The global financial institution recommended easing Russia ’ s import replacement program , lowering tariffs on importing goods , abandoning outdated technical regulatory rules and bolstering the protection of investors .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economists , Izvestia writes .
According to Evgeny Mironyuk , an analyst at Freedom Finance , certainly , Russia ’ s years-long efforts on replacing imports have had a positive effect such as stabilizing key economic indicators during the pandemic .
This policy has led to the formation of powerful and competitive production sectors , said Alexander Proklov , a senior managing director at National Credit Ratings ( NCR ) .
He believes that the only recommendation by the World Bank , which is most likely to be implemented , is creating an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would simplify the process of attracting money from abroad .
Similar organizations have been proven to be effective in Brazil , India , Ireland , South Korea and Vietnam .
Among 30 leading countries in terms of investments , Russia is the last for its quality of institutions and regulations , according to the World Bank ’ s report .
Deputy Director of ACRA Sovereign Ratings and Macroeconomic Analysis Group Dmitry Kulikov notes that the World Bank ’ s recommendations are universal and the organization is `` for all good things . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world move towards isolationism along with trade protectionism , any advice to lower tariffs and cease import replacement policy doesn ’ t quite meet the country ’ s economic interests .
This is more likely to weaken national producers and reverse the process of reducing dependence on the sales of raw materials , he noted .
However , full isolation from global chains in the very end won ’ t do any good for the economy either : it will be much harder to catch up with the world leaders without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert pointed out .
Kommersant : Restaurants in Russia bracing for the worst The restoration of Russia ’ s public catering market , which was one of the most affected sectors due to the anti-coronavirus restrictions , is expected to be delayed .
According to the NPD Group ’ s forecast , patrons will fully come back to cafes and restaurants not earlier than by 2022 , while the market ’ s revenues will rebound only by 2023 , Kommersant writes .
Russian restaurants did not manage to earn a lot on delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2021 , the number of visitors at Russian cafes and restaurants will be at least 5 % lower than in 2019 , according to the study .
By the end of 2020 , the drop will be at least 22 % , analysts estimated .
Infoline says that this year the public catering market ’ s volume will sink 35 % to 1.6 trln rubles ( $ 22 bln ) year-on-year .
Managing Partner and Director General at Ginza Project Moscow Maxim Polzikov believes that it will take a long time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it ’ s senseless to make any particular forecast now as the final effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unclear .
Probably , a coronavirus vaccine will have some positive effect , but it ’ s unlikely that the market will be restored to its pre-crisis levels earlier than by mid-2022 .
Polzikov believes that the crisis on the market was also triggered a mass switch of Russians to distance working .
The projects , which focused on business traffic , lost up to 60 % in revenues after the anti-coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the material quoted in these press reviews .

Izvestia: Putin’s annual news conference to focus on coronavirus pandemic
Read also Putin to hold 2020 annual press conference remotely
This year, Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference will be held in a new format - "with elements of a direct line." Amid the challenging epidemiological situation, the president will answer questions from his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow. The COVID-19 pandemic is highly likely to dominate the upcoming event, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and the Federation Council expect a discussion on the issues related to social guarantees, while the Civic Chamber believes that the head of state will affirm support measures announced in 2020. Political scientists hope to hear an evaluation of the fight against coronavirus, and think that ahead of the New Year the president will focus on a positive agenda. This mode of communication will help to address many concerns of Russians, experts note. "There is one key issue, which is in the spotlight. This is the pandemic and the challenges people are facing due to it in their daily lives. There will be an evaluation of the steps taken by the authorities in overcoming the negative consequences in the healthcare and social-economic sectors in general. When will we return to normal? When will we live better than in early 2020? This is a major concern and this will be a key topic," said Chairman of the Board at the Civil Society Development Foundation Konstantin Kostin. Director for political analysis at INSOMAR company, sociologist Dmitry Poturemsky believes that Putin’s news conference is a guarantee that many issues that really concern Russians will be ironed out. "If any problem and any particular case grabs the president’s attention, it’s evident that a solution should be expected. The news conference is very important from this point of view," the expert noted. Alexander Brod, a member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, believes that the news conference will help sum up problems and offer the head of state an opportunity to issue orders to sort out issues. It’s very important for people to listen to the president’s view on key issues of the outgoing year, Secretary of the Civic Chamber Lidiya Mikheyeva said. "2020 will be remembered for the pandemic and the new global challenges that the entire world has faced. We saw the president’s support in solving all problems, which were sensitive for Russians. We expect that at the news conference once again a course will be confirmed to aid Russians," she told the newspaper. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US seeks to elbow Russia out of Libya
Russian and US diplomats have traded jabs on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region. While on a working visit to Croatia’s capital of Zagreb, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed Washington for banning regional states from normally cooperating with Moscow. This came as a response to a statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claimed that Russia posed a threat to stability in the Mediterranean. The top US diplomat spotlighted the Libyan conflict, alleging that Moscow had violated an arms embargo to Libya, giving a helping hand to Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar. "The transition process, which is now underway in the United States between the Trump and Biden administrations creates rather favorable conditions for those groups of influence inside Libya, which seek decisive steps," Grigory Lukyanov, a senior lecturer with the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Higher School of Economics’ School of Political Science, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "In his turn, Haftar has repeatedly shown his skill to take advantage of such instances. It’s difficult to say how he will act under the current conditions. As we remember, six months ago various observers predicted that Haftar would end as a politician and a project. Nevertheless, the situation turned out to be more complicated." The Biden administration’s Libya policy is still unclear, however it announced plans on using sanctions and is likely to back a tentative eastern coalition in Libya against Turkey’s expansionism. However, Biden has emphasized the importance of values in US policy and the accusations against Haftar referring to war crimes could make him an unacceptable figure for the White House, according to the expert. "Here is one more issue - Biden is set to keep countering Russia as one of threats to US interests both in the Middle East and in the world," Lukyanov mentioned. It’s highly likely that in the first half of 2021 new sanctions will be imposed on Russian companies and Russian assets in Libya, he pointed out. Kommersant: Transnistria urges Russia to ease citizenship procedure
Officials in Transnistria, Moldova’s breakaway region, have asked Moscow to ease the procedure of granting Russian citizenship. The idea is that all citizens who wish to get Russian passports should be allowed to do so at home, without traveling to Russia. Russian lawmakers said they were working on the issue and hoped that it would be ironed out under a Donbass-style arrangement through a presidential decree, Kommersant writes. Although the amendments to the law "On Russian citizenship" passed this July simplified the procedure of getting Russian passports for citizens of Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, this does not concern Moldovan and Ukrainian passport holders. "These amendments don’t work for us," a source in Transnistrian state structures told the newspaper. "The citizenship of another country should not be an obstacle for obtaining Russian citizenship and we want to get a Russian passport via a simplified procedure on the spot, without coming to Russia," the source said. Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin, who met with Transnistrian officials, said that today the procedure under which foreigners, who don’t live in Russia, could become Russians, was confirmed by the president’s decree last year only in regard to citizens of the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. However, they also have to travel to Russia to do the paperwork. In Transnistria’s case, it does not have a common border with Russia unlike Donbass, so this is not an option, the lawmaker said. Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Relations with Compatriots and Eurasian Integration Leonid Kalashnikov notes that the Donbass arrangement should apply to Transnistria, but without the need to go to Russia to do the paperwork. "A presidential decree is needed and we are trying to initiate this," he said, noting that he had sent a respective proposal to the presidential administration and the Foreign Ministry several months ago. According to him, the newly elected Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who recently called for withdrawing the Russian military from Transnistria, was contributing to a speedy solution to the issue. Izvestia: World Bank’s recommendations run counter to Russian interests, economists say
Read also Kremlin lauds Russia's program of import substitution as successful
The World Bank has suggested that Russia should introduce a package of measures aimed at boosting the economy. The global financial institution recommended easing Russia’s import replacement program, lowering tariffs on importing goods, abandoning outdated technical regulatory rules and bolstering the protection of investors. These proposals drew a mixed response from Russian economists, Izvestia writes. According to Evgeny Mironyuk, an analyst at Freedom Finance, certainly, Russia’s years-long efforts on replacing imports have had a positive effect such as stabilizing key economic indicators during the pandemic. This policy has led to the formation of powerful and competitive production sectors, said Alexander Proklov, a senior managing director at National Credit Ratings (NCR). He believes that the only recommendation by the World Bank, which is most likely to be implemented, is creating an institute for assisting foreign investments, which would simplify the process of attracting money from abroad. Similar organizations have been proven to be effective in Brazil, India, Ireland, South Korea and Vietnam. Among 30 leading countries in terms of investments, Russia is the last for its quality of institutions and regulations, according to the World Bank’s report. Deputy Director of ACRA Sovereign Ratings and Macroeconomic Analysis Group Dmitry Kulikov notes that the World Bank’s recommendations are universal and the organization is "for all good things." However, in practice, when states around the world move towards isolationism along with trade protectionism, any advice to lower tariffs and cease import replacement policy doesn’t quite meet the country’s economic interests. This is more likely to weaken national producers and reverse the process of reducing dependence on the sales of raw materials, he noted. However, full isolation from global chains in the very end won’t do any good for the economy either: it will be much harder to catch up with the world leaders without any technological exchange with them, the expert pointed out. Kommersant: Restaurants in Russia bracing for the worst


tass--2020-12-17--Unemployment in Russia up to 6.3%, says Putin

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Unemployment in Russia has risen to 6.3 % , President Vladimir Putin said @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
“ Unemployment was at 4.7 % at the beginning of the year @ @ @ @ @ whereas by now , as you know , it has climbed to 6.3 % , @ @ @ @

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Unemployment in Russia has risen to 6.3%, President Vladimir Putin said at an annual news conference on Thursday.
“Unemployment was at 4.7% at the beginning of the year [in Russia], whereas by now, as you know, it has climbed to 6.3%,” he said.


tass--2020-12-17--Russia tackled COVID-19 issue well, in some ways better than other states — Putin

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that Russia has tackled the COVID-19 pandemic well , perhaps better than other states , he said during the annual press conference on Thursday .
`` Considering the huge amount of issues that we have faced , and there is a whole sea of troubles < … > a whole ocean that splashed out all over the world , we can say with confidence that we have tackled these issues well , and perhaps in some ways even better than other countries in the world that have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stability and the development of their social and healthcare services , '' Putin said .
`` Not a single [ healthcare ] system worldwide was ready for the scale that we encountered .
There is simply no system like that .
< ... > Compared to what was going on in the world , of course , our system turned out to be more effective , '' Putin said .
According to the president , Russia managed to win some time in order to fight the infection thanks to a swift reaction at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We reacted at once at the border and won time in order to begin active preparation for the moment when it comes to us in large amount and scale . ''
The president noted that 2020 can not be called bad .
`` It ’ s like weather .
Is there good or bad weather ?
It ’ s just weather .
And it ’ s the same with the year .
There are pros and cons , like in life , '' the Russian leader said .
He noted that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that it is a common issue for Russia and for the entire world .
`` We know this well , there are over 70 mln people who faced it , according to the WHO , and this problem has made an impact on all spheres of our life , '' the president said , recalling that the pandemic has brought on such issues as lockdowns , production cuts , rise of unemployment and decreased income .
GDP contraction in Russia equals 3.6 % , which is less than in all leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putin said .
`` GDP contraction is 3.6 % as of now , '' he said , adding that it is less than in almost all leading EU countries where GDP contraction totaled up to 9 % in a number of states .
Moreover , the Russian economy is faring better than the US economy , the president noted .
Russia ’ s industrial production `` slipped '' by 3 % by now mainly due to the oil price , he added .
`` Due to the OPEC+ deal , we have cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ] total results , '' Putin explained .
He also emphasized that there is good news as well .
`` My colleagues from the government reported to me yesterday that manufacturing increased by 1.1 % in November , which points to the trend persisting , and we will move ahead in that direction , '' the president said .
According to the latest global statistics , about 74.2 mln people have been infected worldwide and over 1.6 mln deaths have been reported .
To date , 2,762,668 coronavirus cases have been confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 49,151 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that Russia has tackled the COVID-19 pandemic well, perhaps better than other states, he said during the annual press conference on Thursday.
"Considering the huge amount of issues that we have faced, and there is a whole sea of troubles <…> a whole ocean that splashed out all over the world, we can say with confidence that we have tackled these issues well, and perhaps in some ways even better than other countries in the world that have the right to be proud of their economic stability and the development of their social and healthcare services," Putin said.
"Not a single [healthcare] system worldwide was ready for the scale that we encountered. There is simply no system like that. <...> Compared to what was going on in the world, of course, our system turned out to be more effective," Putin said.
According to the president, Russia managed to win some time in order to fight the infection thanks to a swift reaction at the very beginning of the pandemic. "We reacted at once at the border and won time in order to begin active preparation for the moment when it comes to us in large amount and scale."
The president noted that 2020 cannot be called bad. "It’s like weather. Is there good or bad weather? It’s just weather. And it’s the same with the year. There are pros and cons, like in life," the Russian leader said. He noted that the year is marked by the coronavirus pandemic, adding that it is a common issue for Russia and for the entire world. "We know this well, there are over 70 mln people who faced it, according to the WHO, and this problem has made an impact on all spheres of our life," the president said, recalling that the pandemic has brought on such issues as lockdowns, production cuts, rise of unemployment and decreased income.
GDP contraction
GDP contraction in Russia equals 3.6%, which is less than in all leading European countries and the US, Vladimir Putin said.
"GDP contraction is 3.6% as of now," he said, adding that it is less than in almost all leading EU countries where GDP contraction totaled up to 9% in a number of states. Moreover, the Russian economy is faring better than the US economy, the president noted.
Russia’s industrial production "slipped" by 3% by now mainly due to the oil price, he added. "Due to the OPEC+ deal, we have cut production, which affected [Russia’s] total results," Putin explained.
He also emphasized that there is good news as well. "My colleagues from the government reported to me yesterday that manufacturing increased by 1.1% in November, which points to the trend persisting, and we will move ahead in that direction," the president said.
According to the latest global statistics, about 74.2 mln people have been infected worldwide and over 1.6 mln deaths have been reported. To date, 2,762,668 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 2,202,540 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 49,151 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-12-17--Putin promises to take COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest opportunity

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin confessed that he has not taken the coronavirus vaccine @ @ @ @ @ will do it at the first opportunity .
`` The specialists say that the vaccines @ @ @ @ @ are provided for citizens of a certain age area .
And the vaccines have not @ @ @ @ @ .
I reiterate , I am a law-abiding person in this sense , so I @ @ @ @ @ yet .
But I will definitely do it , as soon as it becomes possible @ @ @ @ @ his annul press conference Thursday .
Russia registered two coronavirus vaccines : one developed by @ @ @ @ @ developed by the Vector Institute .
The third vaccine , developed by the Chumakov Federal @ @ @ @ @ could be registered shortly .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin confessed that he has not taken the coronavirus vaccine yet, adding that he will do it at the first opportunity.
"The specialists say that the vaccines that now enter public consumption are provided for citizens of a certain age area. And the vaccines have not reaches people like me yet. I reiterate, I am a law-abiding person in this sense, so I have not taken this vaccine yet. But I will definitely do it, as soon as it becomes possible," Putin said during his annul press conference Thursday.
Russia registered two coronavirus vaccines: one developed by the Gamaleia Center and one developed by the Vector Institute. The third vaccine, developed by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research, could be registered shortly.


tass--2020-12-17--Nothing more important than direct communication with people, Putin confesses

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin confessed that nothing is more valuable to him than @ @ @ @ @ Russian citizens , which allows him to hear their opinion on the important issues .
@ @ @ @ @ Thursday , the head of state underscored that he does not consider such events to @ @ @ @ @ gives them high priority .
`` Even despite I have a huge flow of information @ @ @ @ @ country , coming to me via various channels , there is nothing more valuable than @ @ @ @ @ people , citizens of the Russian Federation , '' the president confessed .
`` Nothing @ @ @ @ @ hear their opinion about what and how we live and , I reiterate , what @ @ @ @ @ better . ''

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin confessed that nothing is more valuable to him than a direct communication with the Russian citizens, which allows him to hear their opinion on the important issues.
Opening his annual press conference Thursday, the head of state underscored that he does not consider such events to be formal and that he gives them high priority.
"Even despite I have a huge flow of information about what happens in the country, coming to me via various channels, there is nothing more valuable than a direct communication with our people, citizens of the Russian Federation," the president confessed. "Nothing is more valuable than to hear their opinion about what and how we live and, I reiterate, what must be done to live better."


tass--2020-12-17--Putin’s annual news conference likely to last about 3-4 hours — Kremlin

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s annual news conference is likely to last @ @ @ @ @ hours , his press secretary , Dmitry Peskov said before the event on Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ be between 3 and 4 hours , '' Peskov said noting that the format of @ @ @ @ @ complex than live talk , so it is hard to predict how long the news @ @ @ @ @ added that `` the journalists of the Kremlin pool work with the president in Novo-Ogaryovo @ @ @ @ @ privilege of being there and asking questions directly . ''

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference is likely to last for about 3 to 4 hours, his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov said before the event on Thursday.
"We expect it to be between 3 and 4 hours," Peskov said noting that the format of a video conference is more complex than live talk, so it is hard to predict how long the news conference could take.
Peskov added that "the journalists of the Kremlin pool work with the president in Novo-Ogaryovo. They will have the privilege of being there and asking questions directly."


tass--2020-12-17--Honor Empowers Young Innovators Celebrates the Winner of Red Bull Basement 2020

SHENZHEN , China , Dec. 17 , 2020 /PRNewswire/ Earlier in September , HONOR , a leading technology brand for global youth , joined forces with Red Bull Basement 2020 , bringing together teams of young innovators around the world and encouraging them to realise tech solutions and create apps with the aim of driving positive social change .
Out of 3,865 international student teams who submitted entries , 38 finalists were selected to develop their ideas further , build their apps and bring their creative visions to life .
As the official Mobile Services and PC partner , HONOR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as a comprehensive app development kit comprising of the award-winning HONOR MagicBook Series and HONOR X Series smartphones to give the young change makers all the tools and technology they needed to get their ideas off the ground .
Following weeks of hard work and dedication , 38 finalist teams from universities worldwide have pitched their next-generation ideas at an entirely virtual Red Bull Basement Global Workshop last Sunday 13 December .
After the presentation and voting , the team LAVA AQUA X from Brunel University London was crowned to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collects and reuses shower water to wash clothes .
Concepts from climate action to education tools submitted by young innovators around the world were also revealed in this first-ever virtual event to drive positive change .
DRIVING POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY With the support of HONOR 's mobile and laptop products , competing teams were able to bring their ideas to life , making use of the powerful and portable MagicBook Series with its stunning FullView display , while the HONOR X Series smartphone , enabled team members to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life and reliable performance , allowing the students to test and refine their ideas , anytime , anywhere , despite the challenges of largely working remotely .
In a bid to support HONOR 's mission to empower young innovators to create a better future through groundbreaking technology , a team of experienced specialists from HONOR not only helped participating teams with their specific technology questions , but also provided expert tips and advice on how to effectively market and monetize their apps .
This year 's finalists set the bar really high , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , products and designs that embrace a `` tech for good '' spirit and aim to tackle real-world problems , driving positive social change .
, the winning idea developed by UK students Paramveer Bhachu and Joanna Power of Brunel University London , tackles the sustainability issue of clean water .
The team invented a washing machine that collects water on the floor of nearly any shower , filters it , and reuses the water to clean clothes .
When it comes to applications , is an app developed by Anastasia Smirnova and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is designed to help students communicate with one another , and navigate around their large university campus with ease .
To improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities , Janik Ehrhardt and Tobias Moritz from Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg developed an app called which makes it possible to operate a tablet or other devices with simple movements such as head-turning , nodding , or closing their eyes .
Discover more about the inspiration behind these apps and check out some of the other incredible ideas dreamed up by students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and @ redbull .
HONOR is a leading tech brand for the global youth , born during the growth of mobile internet , and shaped by ground-breaking technology resulting from the company 's unwavering focus on R & D investment .
Embracing every possibility in the era of 5G and AI , HONOR aims to create an intelligent new world for youth by developing a smart living ecosystem and inspirational youth culture .
HONOR will continue to set itself apart by discovering the fun in innovation , introducing a tech chic lifestyle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community for its ardent , growing fan base .
For more information , please visit HONOR online at or follow us on :

SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Earlier in September, HONOR, a leading technology brand for global youth, joined forces with Red Bull Basement 2020, bringing together teams of young innovators around the world and encouraging them to realise tech solutions and create apps with the aim of driving positive social change.
Out of 3,865 international student teams who submitted entries, 38 finalists were selected to develop their ideas further, build their apps and bring their creative visions to life. As the official Mobile Services and PC partner, HONOR provided participating teams with professional mentoring expertise as well as a comprehensive app development kit comprising of the award-winning HONOR MagicBook Series and HONOR X Series smartphones to give the young change makers all the tools and technology they needed to get their ideas off the ground.
Following weeks of hard work and dedication, 38 finalist teams from universities worldwide have pitched their next-generation ideas at an entirely virtual Red Bull Basement Global Workshop last Sunday 13 December. After the presentation and voting, the team LAVA AQUA X from Brunel University London was crowned to be the winner with an ingenious solution that collects and reuses shower water to wash clothes. Concepts from climate action to education tools submitted by young innovators around the world were also revealed in this first-ever virtual event to drive positive change.
DRIVING POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY
With the support of HONOR's mobile and laptop products, competing teams were able to bring their ideas to life, making use of the powerful and portable MagicBook Series with its stunning FullView display, while the HONOR X Series smartphone, enabled team members to stay connected thanks to its whopping battery life and reliable performance, allowing the students to test and refine their ideas, anytime, anywhere, despite the challenges of largely working remotely.
In a bid to support HONOR's mission to empower young innovators to create a better future through groundbreaking technology, a team of experienced specialists from HONOR not only helped participating teams with their specific technology questions, but also provided expert tips and advice on how to effectively market and monetize their apps.
This year's finalists set the bar really high, with a range of groundbreaking app concepts, products and designs that embrace a "tech for good" spirit and aim to tackle real-world problems, driving positive social change.
LAVA AQUA X , the winning idea developed by UK students Paramveer Bhachu and Joanna Power of Brunel University London, tackles the sustainability issue of clean water. The team invented a washing machine that collects water on the floor of nearly any shower, filters it, and reuses the water to clean clothes. When it comes to applications, KARTA is an app developed by Anastasia Smirnova and Kirill Tropin from RANEPA IBS-Moscow, which is designed to help students communicate with one another, and navigate around their large university campus with ease. To improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities, Janik Ehrhardt and Tobias Moritz from Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg developed an app called HANDICAPP which makes it possible to operate a tablet or other devices with simple movements such as head-turning, nodding, or closing their eyes.
Discover more about the inspiration behind these apps and check out some of the other incredible ideas dreamed up by students around the world, visit @honorglobal and @redbull.
About HONOR
HONOR is a leading tech brand for the global youth, born during the growth of mobile internet, and shaped by ground-breaking technology resulting from the company's unwavering focus on R&D investment. Embracing every possibility in the era of 5G and AI, HONOR aims to create an intelligent new world for youth by developing a smart living ecosystem and inspirational youth culture. HONOR will continue to set itself apart by discovering the fun in innovation, introducing a tech chic lifestyle, and offering a diverse and open online community for its ardent, growing fan base.
For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com or follow us on:
CONTACT: Mavis Wen, +852 5205 6606, mavis.wen@bcw-global.com


tass--2020-12-17--Moscow set to expand vaccination program next week, mayor says

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Staff at industrial enterprises , public transport and journalists will be able to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus in the Russian capital starting from December 21 , Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Thursday .
As many as 15,000 people have already got the COVID-19 shot , he noted .
`` Moscow is the first city in the world , which has launched vaccination .
We offered the opportunity of vaccination against the coronavirus to the social groups working in education , health care , culture , trade and services .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of industrial enterprises , transport and mass media the opportunity to get vaccinated .
An active vaccination in Moscow is underway , '' Sobyanin said during a visit to a vaccination point .
As many as 70 centers with the necessary equipment have been opened in the city .
Citizens aged between 18 and 60 with a Moscow medical insurance certificate or registered with a city clinic will be able to get the jab .
The vaccination of people above 60 years of age will kick off some time later .
People with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to get the shot , and those with acute respiratory infections will have to wait two weeks after recovering from it .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Staff at industrial enterprises, public transport and journalists will be able to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus in the Russian capital starting from December 21, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Thursday.
As many as 15,000 people have already got the COVID-19 shot, he noted.
"Moscow is the first city in the world, which has launched vaccination. We offered the opportunity of vaccination against the coronavirus to the social groups working in education, health care, culture, trade and services. Since Monday, we are offering the employees of industrial enterprises, transport and mass media the opportunity to get vaccinated. An active vaccination in Moscow is underway," Sobyanin said during a visit to a vaccination point.
As many as 70 centers with the necessary equipment have been opened in the city.
Citizens aged between 18 and 60 with a Moscow medical insurance certificate or registered with a city clinic will be able to get the jab. The vaccination of people above 60 years of age will kick off some time later. People with certain chronic diseases won’t be able to get the shot, and those with acute respiratory infections will have to wait two weeks after recovering from it.


tass--2020-12-17--Putin's annual press conference underway

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his customary year-end news conference on Thursday , December 17 .
This time , amid the coronavirus pandemic restrictions , the event is being held online .
Also , it incorporates some features of the question-and-answer program called Direct Line with Vladimir Putin , in which the head of state is asked questions from audiences across the nation .
Russia ’ s main TV channels have reserved three hours of airtime on their schedules , but the real duration of the news conference is impossible to forecast .
Putin ’ s tradition of holding year-end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was a four-year hiatus May 2008 to May 2012 , when he held the prime minister ’ s seat .
After Putin ’ s election to a six year-term in 2012 , this annual event was resumed .
Putin ’ s first news conference in 2001 was also the shortest one ( one hour and 35 minutes ) , while the longest so far ( four hours and 40 minutes ) took place in 2008 .
Starting from 2004 all of Putin ’ s news conferences at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
In 2019 , Putin spent 4 hours and 18 minutes on the podium in front of the audience to answer questions from 57 mass media outlets .

@ TASS/Ruptly
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his customary year-end news conference on Thursday, December 17. This time, amid the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the event is being held online. Also, it incorporates some features of the question-and-answer program called Direct Line with Vladimir Putin, in which the head of state is asked questions from audiences across the nation.
Russia’s main TV channels have reserved three hours of airtime on their schedules, but the real duration of the news conference is impossible to forecast.
Putin’s tradition of holding year-end news conferences started in 2001. However, there was a four-year hiatus May 2008 to May 2012, when he held the prime minister’s seat. After Putin’s election to a six year-term in 2012, this annual event was resumed.
Putin’s first news conference in 2001 was also the shortest one (one hour and 35 minutes), while the longest so far (four hours and 40 minutes) took place in 2008. Starting from 2004 all of Putin’s news conferences at the end of the year lasted for no less than three hours. In 2019, Putin spent 4 hours and 18 minutes on the podium in front of the audience to answer questions from 57 mass media outlets.


tass--2020-12-17--Russia’s coronavirus case count rises by over 28,000 in the past day

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Russia recorded 28,214 coronavirus cases in the past day and the total case @ @ @ @ @ anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday .
The growth rate in cases reached 1 @ @ @ @ @ crisis center .
The lowest growth rates in the past day were recorded in the @ @ @ @ @ % ) , Altai , Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region , Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region and the Republic @ @ @ @ @ % ) .
Moscow confirmed 6,711 new coronavirus cases in the past day .
Some @ @ @ @ @ in St. Petersburg , 1,471 in the Moscow Region , 496 in the Nizhny Novgorod @ @ @ @ @ Arkhangelsk Region and 397 in the Sverdlovsk Region .
Currently , 510,977 people are ill @ @ @

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russia recorded 28,214 coronavirus cases in the past day and the total case tally hit 2,762,668, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.
The growth rate in cases reached 1%, according to the crisis center.
The lowest growth rates in the past day were recorded in the Republics of Tuva (0.5%), Altai, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region and the Republic of Mari El (0.6%).
Moscow confirmed 6,711 new coronavirus cases in the past day. Some 3,763 COVID-19 cases were registered in St. Petersburg, 1,471 in the Moscow Region, 496 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 399 in the Arkhangelsk Region and 397 in the Sverdlovsk Region.
Currently, 510,977 people are ill in Russia.


tass--2020-12-17--NDB Board of Directors Held 29th Meeting in Virtual Format, Approved Seven Projects

SHANGHAI , December 17 .
/PRNewswire/ .
The Board of Directors ( Board ) of the New Development Bank ( NDB ) held its 29th Meeting in a virtual format on December 15 , 2020 .
At the Meeting , the Board approved five investment projects with a total commitment aggregating to approx .
USD 2.7 billion .
The NDB Board approved a loan of USD 1.2 billion to the Brazilian Development Bank ( BNDES ) for the BNDES-NDB Sustainable Infrastructure Project .
The NDB loan will support BNDES in financing sustainable infrastructure sub-projects in the public and private sectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing sustainable infrastructure aiming at the achievement of selected Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) .
As a critical enabler of faster and inclusive economic growth , the infrastructure development of the sub-projects is expected to deliver a wide range of socio-economic benefits to Brazil .
The Project will contribute to the efforts of the Government of Brazil to support socio-economic growth and development through sustainable infrastructure investments in key sectors .
Urban , Rural and Social Infrastructure Program to Achieve the SDGs The NDB Board approved a loan of EUR 134.64 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul , BRDE ) for the Urban , Rural and Social Infrastructure Program to Achieve the SDGs .
The loan will be used by BRDE for on-lending to sustainable infrastructure sub-borrowers in the public and private sectors in the southern region of Brazil , comprising the states of Rio Grande do Sul , Paraná and Santa Catarina .
The Project is expected to contribute to addressing scarcity and bottlenecks of infrastructure in key sectors in the southern region of Brazil by helping to address infrastructure financing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to infrastructure financing .
The NDB Board approved a loan of USD 75 million to the Municipality of Curitiba for Curitiba 's Bus Rideability Improvement Project .
The objective of the Project is to prioritize public transportation and discourage the use of individual transportation , thus improving socio-economic conditions through increased mobility , optimization , expansion and requalification of the public transportation infrastructure in Curitiba , the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná .
The loan will be used for financing the development of the East-West Corridor and the South Corridor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( BRT ) system that incorporates the Transportation Integrated Network ( RIT ) in Curitiba Metropolitan Region ( RMC ) .
The NDB Board approved a loan of up to USD 1 billion to the Republic of South Africa for the improvement of transport infrastructure .
The NDB Board also approved a loan of USD 300 million to Mobile TeleSystems ( MTS ) Public Joint Stock Company for the Cellular Network and Cloud Services Expansion Project in Russia .
The loan will be used to finance a part of the company 's capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its cellular network and deployment of cloud services infrastructure in Russia .
The Project will support equitable access to faster internet for the Russian population in addition to providing enterprises access to a wide range of cloud services .
In the Intersession Period , the Board of Directors also approved two COVID-19 Emergency Program Loans of USD 1 billion respectively to the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of India .
On December 7 , 2020 , the NDB Board approved COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan of USD 1 billion to the Federative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic recovery from COVID-19 .
The Program will support the Brazilian Federal Government in its efforts to maintain jobs and income and to support economic recovery through an enhanced credit access for small and medium-sized companies ( SMEs ) .
The Bank 's loan will contribute to financing the Investment Guarantee Fund for the Credit Access Emergency Program ( FGI-PEAC ) .
The NDB loan , through FGI-PEAC , will improve SME 's access to credit by providing guarantees to help them overcome temporary liquidity problems , ensure the continuity of operations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustain employment rates and income to the workers .
On December 11 , 2020 , the NDB Board approved COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan of USD 1 billion to the Republic of India for supporting India 's economic recovery from COVID-19 .
The Program will support the Government of India in its efforts to contain the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and start economic recovery .
The Program will support mitigating the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and enable economic recovery in the rural areas through natural resource management works ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the rural poor , especially migrant workers who have returned from urban areas and have lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Agricultural productivity will be improved through the creation of NRM assets that promote water conservation , water harvesting and watershed management .
An update on the NDB 's robust and dynamic project pipeline in all member countries of the Bank , project implementation and disbursement was provided to the Board of Directors .
The Board of Directors discussed matters pertaining to planning towards LIBOR transition , funding strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank 's membership .
The 17th Audit , Risk and Compliance Committee Meeting and the 13th Budget , Human Resources and Compensation Committee Meeting of the Board of Directors took place virtually on December , 14 , 2020 .
The NDB was established by Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries , complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development .
According to the NDB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at the core of the Bank 's operational strategy for 2017-2021 .
The NDB received AA+ long-term issuer credit ratings from S & P and Fitch and AAA foreign currency long-term issuer rating from Japan Credit Rating Agency ( JCR ) and Analytical Credit Rating Agency ( ACRA ) .

SHANGHAI, December 17. /PRNewswire/. The Board of Directors (Board) of the New Development Bank (NDB) held its 29th Meeting in a virtual format on December 15, 2020.
At the Meeting, the Board approved five investment projects with a total commitment aggregating to approx. USD 2.7 billion.
BNDES-NDB Sustainable Infrastructure Project
The NDB Board approved a loan of USD 1.2 billion to the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for the BNDES-NDB Sustainable Infrastructure Project. The NDB loan will support BNDES in financing sustainable infrastructure sub-projects in the public and private sectors with the scope of works focused on developing sustainable infrastructure aiming at the achievement of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a critical enabler of faster and inclusive economic growth, the infrastructure development of the sub-projects is expected to deliver a wide range of socio-economic benefits to Brazil. The Project will contribute to the efforts of the Government of Brazil to support socio-economic growth and development through sustainable infrastructure investments in key sectors.
Urban, Rural and Social Infrastructure Program to Achieve the SDGs
The NDB Board approved a loan of EUR 134.64 million to the Far South Regional Development Bank (Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul, BRDE) for the Urban, Rural and Social Infrastructure Program to Achieve the SDGs. The loan will be used by BRDE for on-lending to sustainable infrastructure sub-borrowers in the public and private sectors in the southern region of Brazil, comprising the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Santa Catarina. The Project is expected to contribute to addressing scarcity and bottlenecks of infrastructure in key sectors in the southern region of Brazil by helping to address infrastructure financing needs of sub-national governments with limited access to infrastructure financing.
Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit Rideability Improvement Project
The NDB Board approved a loan of USD 75 million to the Municipality of Curitiba for Curitiba's Bus Rideability Improvement Project. The objective of the Project is to prioritize public transportation and discourage the use of individual transportation, thus improving socio-economic conditions through increased mobility, optimization, expansion and requalification of the public transportation infrastructure in Curitiba, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. The loan will be used for financing the development of the East-West Corridor and the South Corridor of the Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that incorporates the Transportation Integrated Network (RIT) in Curitiba Metropolitan Region (RMC).
South Africa National Non-toll Roads Management Program
The NDB Board approved a loan of up to USD 1 billion to the Republic of South Africa for the improvement of transport infrastructure.
MTS Cellular Network and Cloud Services Expansion Project
The NDB Board also approved a loan of USD 300 million to Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) Public Joint Stock Company for the Cellular Network and Cloud Services Expansion Project in Russia. The loan will be used to finance a part of the company's capital expenditure program aimed at the expansion of its cellular network and deployment of cloud services infrastructure in Russia. The Project will support equitable access to faster internet for the Russian population in addition to providing enterprises access to a wide range of cloud services.
In the Intersession Period, the Board of Directors also approved two COVID-19 Emergency Program Loans of USD 1 billion respectively to the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of India.
COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan to Brazil for Supporting Economic Recovery
On December 7, 2020, the NDB Board approved COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan of USD 1 billion to the Federative Republic of Brazil for supporting Brazil's economic recovery from COVID-19. The Program will support the Brazilian Federal Government in its efforts to maintain jobs and income and to support economic recovery through an enhanced credit access for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). The Bank's loan will contribute to financing the Investment Guarantee Fund for the Credit Access Emergency Program (FGI-PEAC). The NDB loan, through FGI-PEAC, will improve SME's access to credit by providing guarantees to help them overcome temporary liquidity problems, ensure the continuity of operations, and strengthen financial sustainability, contributing to sustain employment rates and income to the workers.
COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan to India for Supporting Economic Recovery
On December 11, 2020, the NDB Board approved COVID-19 Emergency Program Loan of USD 1 billion to the Republic of India for supporting India's economic recovery from COVID-19. The Program will support the Government of India in its efforts to contain the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and start economic recovery. The Program will support mitigating the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and enable economic recovery in the rural areas through natural resource management works (NRM) and generation of employment opportunities for the rural poor, especially migrant workers who have returned from urban areas and have lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Agricultural productivity will be improved through the creation of NRM assets that promote water conservation, water harvesting and watershed management.
An update on the NDB's robust and dynamic project pipeline in all member countries of the Bank, project implementation and disbursement was provided to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors discussed matters pertaining to planning towards LIBOR transition, funding strategy, country systems and expansion of the Bank's membership.
The 17th Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee Meeting and the 13th Budget, Human Resources and Compensation Committee Meeting of the Board of Directors took place virtually on December, 14, 2020.
Background Information
The NDB was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development. According to the NDB's General Strategy, sustainable infrastructure development is at the core of the Bank's operational strategy for 2017-2021. The NDB received AA+ long-term issuer credit ratings from S&P and Fitch and AAA foreign currency long-term issuer rating from Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) and Analytical Credit Rating Agency (ACRA).
CONTACT: Evan Liu, +852-3141-8012, evan.liu@ketchum.com


tass--2020-12-17--Two unidentified persons attack traffic police post in Chechnya — source

TASS , December 17 .
Two unidentified individuals have attacked a traffic police post in Chechnya ’ s Kurchaloy District @ @ @ @ @ reprisal fire , a law enforcement source told TASS .
`` Two civilians attacked a @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Kurchaloy District .
They were killed by return fire , '' the source @ @

TASS, December 17. Two unidentified individuals have attacked a traffic police post in Chechnya’s Kurchaloy District. They were killed by reprisal fire, a law enforcement source told TASS.
"Two civilians attacked a traffic police post in Chechnya’s Kurchaloy District. They were killed by return fire," the source said.
No police officers were wounded.


tass--2020-12-17--Konstantin Ishkhanov: famous musicians will perform at the InClassica 2021 Festival

Participating in the event will be numerous internationally recognised performers , many of whom for which the chance to see them perform live is rare , and especially so at the same festival as so many other esteemed artists .
The youngest of these performers will be violin prodigy , Daniel Lozakovich , who will present a new violin concerto by Alexey Shor .
Shor ’ s compositions will also be performed by pianists Denis Kozhukhin and Andrei Gugnin , cellist Gauthier Capuçon , violinist Stella Chan , violist David Aaron Carpenter and operatic soprano Carmen Giannattasio , who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Symphony Orchestra .
This ambitious score will be performed at the Mediterranean Conference Center ( MCC ) in Malta ’ s capital , Valletta .
Located in the 16 th century historical building known as the Sacra Infermeria , it is considered one of the finest concert halls in Europe .
Renowned artists , actors and musicians from La Scala , the Neapolitan Theatre of San Carlo , the Spanish National Ballet , the Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra have all travelled to the MCC to perform , and for 2021 InClassica is set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue this tradition .
Alexey Shor ’ s Symphonic Poem Images from the Great Siege will be performed at the opening of the InClassica Festival .
Mr Shor has been Composer-In-Residence for the Malta International Music Festival since 2017 , a post he also holds with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Academy .
Dedicated to the history of Malta , this musical work is conceived as a ‘ grand canvas ’ , depicting this 16th century event through the reflective prism of a 21st century mindset .
The composition will be performed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra ( MPO ) under the baton of their chief conductor , Sergey Smbatyan .
From April 17th to May 11th 2021 , the Maltese capital of Valletta will host over three weeks of consecutive evening performances of classical music .
InClassica , the tenth anniversary edition of the Malta International Music Festival is organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture ( EUFSC ) in partnership with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra .
The EUFSC is an organisation committed to promoting cultural projects in Europe and around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme of concerts featuring performances by exceptional artists from across the globe , and one that is certain to delight both casual and committed lovers of classical music Other classical music stars in attendance at the festival include pianists Marta Argerich , Grigory Sokolov , Denis Matsuev , Rudolf Buchbinder , Julia Zilberquit and Severin von Eckardstein , violinists Maxim Vengerov , Daniel Hope , Sergei Dogadin and Anna Tifu , cellist Steven Isserlis , clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer and opera diva Danielle de Niese .
Audiences will also be treated to a rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gidon Kremer , who will perform Philip Glass ’ s double concerto for violin and cello together with Giedre Divanauskaite .
Aside from the festival ’ s impressive roster of visiting artists , the programming too is comprehensive and varied , featuring works by P. I. Tchaikovsky , S. Rachmaninov , S. Prokofiev , M. Bruch , F. Mendelson , M. Ravel , L. van Beethoven , G , Verdi , A. Dvorak , K. Saint-Saens , D. Shostakovich , I. Stravinsky , B. Bartok and others .
Performed by such virtuosos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on new life and delight audiences throughout the festival .
Aside from the visiting artists present , the event will also feature eight leading symphony orchestras and conductors , who will direct the ensembles on a rotational basis .
This fluidity in the event ’ s programming aims to provide classical music lovers with the unique opportunity to discover the many nuances and subtleties of sound particular to each of the visiting orchestras .
Performing on the InClassica stage will be : the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra , the Russian National Orchestra , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( UK ) , the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liege ( Belgium ) , the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra , the German State Philharmonic Rhineland-Palatinate Orchestra .
Maestros Dmitry Yablonsky ( USA-Israel-Spain ) , Alexander Sladkovsky ( Russia ) , Gianluca Marciano ( Italy ) , Alexander Shelley ( Great Britain ) , Michael Francis ( Great Britain-USA ) , Gergely Madarash ( Hungary ) , Sergey Smbatyan ( Armenia ) and Marius Stravinsky ( Great Britain ) will take turns occupying the conductor ’ s podium .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s programme and announced lineup leaves little doubt in one ’ s mind that this is certain to be a truly unique event for classic music lovers , especially when considering the challenges faced by the creative sectors and live music events specifically during 2020 .
Headed by Konstantin Ishkhanov , the European Foundation for the Support of Culture ( EUFSC ) is InClassica ’ s organiser and founder .
Supporting and promoting culture is the foundation ’ s mission , an aim it furthers through events such as InClassica .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classical musicians and classical music lovers , the InClassica festival is proud to present its three-week-long program of outstanding creativity from the world ’ s most renowned musicians .
We ’ ve chosen Malta as a place for our event most deliberately : we guarantee a unique cultural experience on this charming Mediterranean island for all our listeners and visitors to our concerts '' , - EUFSC President Konstantin Ishkhanov stated .
The EUFSC ’ s cultural events calendar traditionally culminates each year in the InClassica International Music Festival .
In 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international piano competitions named ’ 14 Ways to Malta ’ .
The foundation has ambitious plans for 2021 despite the difficulties faced in 2020 .
One such event , the ‘ Classic Piano ’ International Piano Competition , is due to take place simultaneously with the festival itself .
70 young pianists will compete for first prize in an event which will help launch and support the careers of talented upcoming soloists , with some of these perhaps destined to be invited back as guest soloists for future InClassica festivals .
As part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the performance of , and education in , classical music , the EUFSC will also be running an educational programme in parallel with InClassica 2021 .
Next year this will comprise two major modules : the Malta Classical Music Academy for professional musicians , and a course of lectures by world-renowned performers and musicologists for the general public .
The Classical Music Academy will offer masterclasses with leading pedagogues from all over the world , including Anna Chumachenko ( Italy ) , Bernd Goetzke ( Germany ) , Zakhar Bron ( Germany ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davide Alonya ( Italy ) and Grigory Gruzman ( Germany ) , and will invite guest performers from Russia including Sergei Dogadin , Vera Kameneva , Mikhail Khokhlov and others .
A selection of these visiting artists ( for example , Sergei Dogadin ) will perform on the festival ’ s stage in addition to their educational work , as they share their skills , knowledge and experience with Academy attendees .
The best students will be granted an opportunity to perform as part of the festival together with these honoured musicians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debut for this extensive educational event .

Participating in the event will be numerous internationally recognised performers, many of whom for which the chance to see them perform live is rare, and especially so at the same festival as so many other esteemed artists. The youngest of these performers will be violin prodigy, Daniel Lozakovich, who will present a new violin concerto by Alexey Shor. Shor’s compositions will also be performed by pianists Denis Kozhukhin and Andrei Gugnin, cellist Gauthier Capuçon, violinist Stella Chan, violist David Aaron Carpenter and operatic soprano Carmen Giannattasio, who will be accompanied in concert by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
This ambitious score will be performed at the Mediterranean Conference Center (MCC) in Malta’s capital, Valletta. Located in the 16 th century historical building known as the Sacra Infermeria, it is considered one of the finest concert halls in Europe. Renowned artists, actors and musicians from La Scala, the Neapolitan Theatre of San Carlo, the Spanish National Ballet, the Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra have all travelled to the MCC to perform, and for 2021 InClassica is set to invite a host of classical music stars to continue this tradition.
Alexey Shor’s Symphonic Poem Images from the Great Siege will be performed at the opening of the InClassica Festival. Mr Shor has been Composer-In-Residence for the Malta International Music Festival since 2017, a post he also holds with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Academy. Dedicated to the history of Malta, this musical work is conceived as a ‘grand canvas’, depicting this 16th century event through the reflective prism of a 21st century mindset. The composition will be performed by two orchestras: the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) under the baton of their chief conductor, Sergey Smbatyan.
From April 17th to May 11th 2021, the Maltese capital of Valletta will host over three weeks of consecutive evening performances of classical music. InClassica , the tenth anniversary edition of the Malta International Music Festival is organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) in partnership with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. The EUFSC is an organisation committed to promoting cultural projects in Europe and around the world, an aim reflected in this programme of concerts featuring performances by exceptional artists from across the globe, and one that is certain to delight both casual and committed lovers of classical music
Other classical music stars in attendance at the festival include pianists Marta Argerich, Grigory Sokolov, Denis Matsuev, Rudolf Buchbinder, Julia Zilberquit and Severin von Eckardstein, violinists Maxim Vengerov, Daniel Hope, Sergei Dogadin and Anna Tifu, cellist Steven Isserlis, clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer and opera diva Danielle de Niese. Audiences will also be treated to a rare live performance by violinist and conductor, Gidon Kremer, who will perform Philip Glass’s double concerto for violin and cello together with Giedre Divanauskaite.
Aside from the festival’s impressive roster of visiting artists, the programming too is comprehensive and varied, featuring works by P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov, S. Prokofiev, M. Bruch, F. Mendelson, M. Ravel, L. van Beethoven, G, Verdi, A. Dvorak, K. Saint-Saens, D. Shostakovich, I. Stravinsky, B. Bartok and others. Performed by such virtuosos, performances of these scores are sure to take on new life and delight audiences throughout the festival.
Aside from the visiting artists present, the event will also feature eight leading symphony orchestras and conductors, who will direct the ensembles on a rotational basis. This fluidity in the event’s programming aims to provide classical music lovers with the unique opportunity to discover the many nuances and subtleties of sound particular to each of the visiting orchestras. Performing on the InClassica stage will be: the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, the Malta Philharmonic and Youth Orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (UK), the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liege (Belgium), the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the German State Philharmonic Rhineland-Palatinate Orchestra. Maestros Dmitry Yablonsky (USA-Israel-Spain), Alexander Sladkovsky (Russia), Gianluca Marciano (Italy), Alexander Shelley (Great Britain), Michael Francis (Great Britain-USA), Gergely Madarash (Hungary), Sergey Smbatyan (Armenia) and Marius Stravinsky (Great Britain) will take turns occupying the conductor’s podium.
Even the most cursory assessment of the festival’s programme and announced lineup leaves little doubt in one’s mind that this is certain to be a truly unique event for classic music lovers, especially when considering the challenges faced by the creative sectors and live music events specifically during 2020. Headed by Konstantin Ishkhanov, the European Foundation for the Support of Culture (EUFSC) is InClassica’s organiser and founder. Supporting and promoting culture is the foundation’s mission, an aim it furthers through events such as InClassica.
"After such a tough year for many classical musicians and classical music lovers, the InClassica festival is proud to present its three-week-long program of outstanding creativity from the world’s most renowned musicians. We’ve chosen Malta as a place for our event most deliberately: we guarantee a unique cultural experience on this charming Mediterranean island for all our listeners and visitors to our concerts", - EUFSC President Konstantin Ishkhanov stated.
The EUFSC’s cultural events calendar traditionally culminates each year in the InClassica International Music Festival. In 2019, this was followed by a series of international piano competitions named ’14 Ways to Malta’. The foundation has ambitious plans for 2021 despite the difficulties faced in 2020. One such event, the ‘Classic Piano’ International Piano Competition, is due to take place simultaneously with the festival itself. 70 young pianists will compete for first prize in an event which will help launch and support the careers of talented upcoming soloists, with some of these perhaps destined to be invited back as guest soloists for future InClassica festivals.
As part of its mission to promote and support the performance of, and education in, classical music, the EUFSC will also be running an educational programme in parallel with InClassica 2021. Next year this will comprise two major modules: the Malta Classical Music Academy for professional musicians, and a course of lectures by world-renowned performers and musicologists for the general public.
The Classical Music Academy will offer masterclasses with leading pedagogues from all over the world, including Anna Chumachenko (Italy), Bernd Goetzke (Germany), Zakhar Bron (Germany), Boris Kushnir (Austria), Davide Alonya (Italy) and Grigory Gruzman (Germany), and will invite guest performers from Russia including Sergei Dogadin, Vera Kameneva, Mikhail Khokhlov and others.
A selection of these visiting artists (for example, Sergei Dogadin) will perform on the festival’s stage in addition to their educational work, as they share their skills, knowledge and experience with Academy attendees. The best students will be granted an opportunity to perform as part of the festival together with these honoured musicians, guaranteeing a unique experience and an impactful debut for this extensive educational event.


tass--2020-12-17--BRICS’ bank approves five new projects in Brazil, Russia, South Africa worth $2.7 bln

SHANGHAI , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
The board of directors of BRICS ’ New Development Bank ( NDB ) has approved five new investment projects in Brazil , Russia and South Africa totally worth $ 2.7 bln , press service of the financial institution said in a statement on Thursday .
`` The Board of Directors of the New Development Bank held its 29th meeting in a virtual format on December 15 , 2020 .
At the meeting , the Board approved five investment projects with a total commitment aggregating to approx .
$ 2.7 billion , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three projects in Brazil , one project in Russia and one in South Africa .
The Russian project envisions extension of a loan worth $ 300 mln to Mobile TeleSystems ( MTS ) for cellular network and cloud services expansion .
`` The loan will be used to finance a part of the company ’ s capital expenditure program aimed at the expansion of its cellular network and deployment of cloud services infrastructure in Russia .
The project will support equitable access to faster internet for the Russian population in addition to providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloud services , '' according to the statement .

SHANGHAI, December 17. /TASS/. The board of directors of BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) has approved five new investment projects in Brazil, Russia and South Africa totally worth $2.7 bln, press service of the financial institution said in a statement on Thursday.
"The Board of Directors of the New Development Bank held its 29th meeting in a virtual format on December 15, 2020. At the meeting, the Board approved five investment projects with a total commitment aggregating to approx. $2.7 billion," the statement said. The issue is about three projects in Brazil, one project in Russia and one in South Africa.
The Russian project envisions extension of a loan worth $300 mln to Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) for cellular network and cloud services expansion. "The loan will be used to finance a part of the company’s capital expenditure program aimed at the expansion of its cellular network and deployment of cloud services infrastructure in Russia. The project will support equitable access to faster internet for the Russian population in addition to providing enterprises access to a wide range of cloud services," according to the statement.


tass--2020-12-17--Innodisk Lands IoT Devices with Powerful Recovery Technique Portfolio

TAIPEI , December 17 .
/PRNewswire/ .
Innodisk 's award-winning InnoAGE flash storage devices developed in partnership with Microsoft keeps expanding .
The new-patented recovery technology of on-site recovery and 24/7 no-man monitoring feature come together by InnoOSR ( On-Site Recovery ) and following feature enhancement .
Now Innodisk 's exclusive InnoAGE series are able to meet full recovery scenarios .
The latest addition to the InnoAGE series is the InnoOSR 3TO7 , available in 2.5 '' , M.2 2242 and 2280 , as well as mSATA form factors in capacities from 32 GB up to 1 TB .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can be triggered by one button touch , easily bringing malfunctioning devices back to life without time-consuming software-level recovery or costlier remote recovery .
The new InnoAGE series lineup also includes InnoOSR feature enhancement , which automates InnoOSR 's instant recovery functionality with the help of a patented firmware-level heartbeat function .
The result is an exceptionally cost-efficient recovery solution that reduce 80 % cost from technical maintenance .
InnoOSR requires no human intervention and 24/7 autonomous monitoring of edge devices , with OSR toolkit , easily integrated into any software/platform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion IoT edge devices , InnoAGE series can afford little downtime , especially for data centers , warehouses , and surveillance devices .
The InnoOSR series , meanwhile , is perfect for staying operational continuously even without staff available nearby , for example kiosks , unmanned retail applications , and casino gaming machine etc .
Together with InnoOSR , InnoAGE 3TI7 series is designed with firmware technologies and equipped with Microsoft Azure Sphere .
InnoAGE enables multifunctional management , timely maintenance , smart data analysis and firmware updates , data security , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ InnoOSR brings cost-efficient no-fuss recovery to uptime-critical applications .
Innodisk is a service-driven provider of flash memory , DRAM modules , and embedded peripheral products for industrial and enterprise applications .
With satisfied customers across a range of demanding industries , we have set ourselves apart with a commitment to exceptional products and service .
For more information about Innodisk , please visit https : //www.innodisk.com

TAIPEI, December 17. /PRNewswire/. Innodisk's award-winning InnoAGE flash storage devices developed in partnership with Microsoft keeps expanding. The new-patented recovery technology of on-site recovery and 24/7 no-man monitoring feature come together by InnoOSR (On-Site Recovery) and following feature enhancement. Now Innodisk's exclusive InnoAGE series are able to meet full recovery scenarios.
Full Recovery Abilities for Edge Device
The latest addition to the InnoAGE series is the InnoOSR 3TO7, available in 2.5", M.2 2242 and 2280, as well as mSATA form factors in capacities from 32 GB up to 1 TB. The brand new InnoOSR lineup brings superior recovery that can be triggered by one button touch, easily bringing malfunctioning devices back to life without time-consuming software-level recovery or costlier remote recovery.
The new InnoAGE series lineup also includes InnoOSR feature enhancement, which automates InnoOSR's instant recovery functionality with the help of a patented firmware-level heartbeat function. The result is an exceptionally cost-efficient recovery solution that reduce 80% cost from technical maintenance. InnoOSR requires no human intervention and 24/7 autonomous monitoring of edge devices, with OSR toolkit, easily integrated into any software/platform.
InnoAGE Innovation for All IoT Applications
Aiming at the blooming market of 500 billion IoT edge devices, InnoAGE series can afford little downtime, especially for data centers, warehouses, and surveillance devices. The InnoOSR series, meanwhile, is perfect for staying operational continuously even without staff available nearby, for example kiosks, unmanned retail applications, and casino gaming machine etc.
Together with InnoOSR, InnoAGE 3TI7 series is designed with firmware technologies and equipped with Microsoft Azure Sphere. InnoAGE enables multifunctional management, timely maintenance, smart data analysis and firmware updates, data security, and remote control through the cloud, while InnoOSR brings cost-efficient no-fuss recovery to uptime-critical applications.
About Innodisk
Innodisk is a service-driven provider of flash memory, DRAM modules, and embedded peripheral products for industrial and enterprise applications. With satisfied customers across a range of demanding industries, we have set ourselves apart with a commitment to exceptional products and service.
For more information about Innodisk, please visit https://www.innodisk.com
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1385863/innodisk_s_new_patented_techology_with_immediate_on_site_recovery_and_firmware_level_heartbeat_monit.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/826938/Innodisk_Corporation_Logo.jpg
CONTACT: Innodisk Corporation, Yvonne Liu, +886-277033000 ext. 1515, Yvonne_Liu@innodisk.com


tass--2020-12-17--Deeper pockets: Global billionaires got $1.9 trillion richer in 2020, Forbes reports

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
The billionaires of the world became richer by $ 1.9 trillion in 2020 , according to the estimates Forbes released on Wednesday .
The magazine reports that , as of December 11 , 2020 , the billionaires ’ total fortune amounts to $ 11.4 trillion , which exceeds last year 's estimates ( $ 9.5 trillion ) by 20 % .
In terms of cumulative growth of fortune , Chinese billionaires top the list .
In 2020 , their total fortune increased by $ 50 billion and reached $ 2 trillion .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2020 , their fortune grew by $ 650 million .
Thus , the amount of their capital is $ 2 trillion .
The outgoing year turned out to be the most favorable for Elon Musk , head of Tesla and SpaceX , who earned $ 110 billion in a year .
With his fortune amounting to $ 137 billion the entrepreneur ranks third on the Forbes list .
French billionaires rank third in terms of cumulative growth of their capitals .
Their capital has grown by $ 95 billion over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 billion .
In particular , Bernard Arnault , CEO of the French group of companies LVMH ( Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy ) became richer by $ 35 billion ( his total fortune to about $ 148 billion ) and heiress of the French company L'Oreal Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers earned $ 14 billion , ( her total fortune is $ 74 billion ) .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The billionaires of the world became richer by $1.9 trillion in 2020, according to the estimates Forbes released on Wednesday.
The magazine reports that, as of December 11, 2020, the billionaires’ total fortune amounts to $11.4 trillion, which exceeds last year's estimates ($9.5 trillion) by 20%.
In terms of cumulative growth of fortune, Chinese billionaires top the list. In 2020, their total fortune increased by $50 billion and reached $2 trillion.
The richest people in the USA rank second. In 2020, their fortune grew by $650 million. Thus, the amount of their capital is $2 trillion. The outgoing year turned out to be the most favorable for Elon Musk, head of Tesla and SpaceX, who earned $110 billion in a year. With his fortune amounting to $137 billion the entrepreneur ranks third on the Forbes list.
French billionaires rank third in terms of cumulative growth of their capitals. Their capital has grown by $ 95 billion over the year and is currently equal to $500 billion.
In particular, Bernard Arnault, CEO of the French group of companies LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) became richer by $35 billion (his total fortune to about $148 billion) and heiress of the French company L'Oreal Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers earned $14 billion, (her total fortune is $74 billion).


tass--2020-12-17--Bitcoin price exceeds $22,000

Bitcoin price exceeds $22,000

MOSCOW , December 17 .
/TASS/ .
Bitcoin price rose by 3.7 % in the course of trading on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ peak , according to the data of the trading platform as of 06:11 Moscow time @ @ @ @ @ price has set a new all-time high value .
As of 06:39 am Moscow time @ @ @ @ @ at around $ 21.311 ( +2.3 % ) .
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency invented in @ @ @ @ @ or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto .
It is a decentralized digital @ @ @ @ @ or single administrator that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin @ @ @ @ @ 's popularity has skyrocketed only in recent years .
The emission of this cryptocurrency is @ @ @ @ @ of the bitcoins have been `` mined .
`` .

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Bitcoin price rose by 3.7% in the course of trading on Thursday reaching $22,148 at its peak, according to the data of the trading platform as of 06:11 Moscow time. Thus, the cryptocurrency price has set a new all-time high value. As of 06:39 am Moscow time, the Bitcoin price was at around $21.311 (+2.3%).
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. It is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without intermediaries. Bitcoin's popularity has skyrocketed only in recent years. The emission of this cryptocurrency is limited, and now most of the bitcoins have been "mined.".