tass--2020-12-03--LG SIGNATURE Partners with Globally Renowned Institutions of Art and Culture

SEOUL , South Korea , December 3 .
/PRNewswire/ .
LG SIGNATURE is bringing the world of art and technology together again , leveraging its partnerships with some of the biggest names in art and culture .
Joining LG SIGNATURE for its digital campaign are globally renowned institutions such as Russia 's Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts , the American Ballet Theatre ( ABT ) , and La Scala opera house .
A firm believer in the value and importance of art , the brand has forged a new partnership with the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Priorities , a Russian governmental organization , LG SIGNATURE is assisting with a major component of a national project – the digitalization of the country 's rich cultural heritage .
In addition to this immense undertaking , National Priorities is also carrying out important initiatives in the areas of health , demography , economy and ecology .
As part of the agreement , LG SIGNATURE is taking exquisitely detailed closeups of some of the masterpieces in the Pushkin 's impressive collection .
LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K TV will also be exhibited at upcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images and videos of the artworks on show and revealing the incredible skill and techniques of some of history 's greatest artists .
The Pushkin and LG SIGNATURE will also help share the joy of art with a wider audience via a number of digital projects , starting with the creation of a series of virtual tours of the museum 's acclaimed exhibits , which will be available on Russia 's leading online video streaming service , IVI ( ivi.ru ) , for free .
LG SIGNATURE , a major sponsor and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again teaming up with America 's preeminent ballet company for a holiday treat for dance-lovers worldwide .
This year , the luxury brand will give consumers the opportunity to watch the most exhilarating moments from ABT 's The Nutcracker performance through its sponsorship of the first-ever 8K Ultra HD highlights production .
Created by celebrated choreographer and ABT artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky , and featuring principal dancers Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside , the magical performance was captured at the High Line Hotel in New York City .
The enchanting highlights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 6 p.m. EST on the ABT and LG SIGNATURE YouTube channels .
A preview of the landmark video is currently available on both channels .
In Italy , LG SIGNATURE has partnered with Bellavista , one of the most esteemed wineries in the country 's famed Franciacorta region , to provide a special online experience .
Held on November 26 , the virtual event featured LG SIGNATURE 's premium lifestyle solutions and shared the compelling story of Bellavista 's evolution from a small family concern to a globally respected producer of fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary creations and the innovative technology and design of the LG SIGNATURE Wine Cellar , the collaboration helped promote the unique style of Bellavista Franciacorta wines and the importance of proper wine storage .
LG SIGNATURE has also joined forces with La Scala , the historic opera house located in Milan , Italy .
The ultra-premium brand , which has been a major sponsor of La Scala since last year , will post a special video of Giuseppe Verdi 's beloved opera Rigoletto ( performed at La Scala ) on its global website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough year for all of us , and we hope that the series of artistic , magical experiences presented in our new digital campaign will delight and enthrall consumers worldwide , '' said Kim Jin-hong , head of LG Electronics ' Global Marketing Center .
`` Featuring collaborations with global icons of art and culture , and appearances by LG SIGNATURE 's extraordinary products , the content we 've developed is perfect for enjoying with loved ones while relaxing at home . ''
LG SIGNATURE is an ultra-premium brand across multiple product categories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the most discerning consumers , LG SIGNATURE is designed to provide a state-of-the-art living experience that feels pure , sophisticated and luxurious .
The brand 's distinctive products were designed with their true essence in mind – streamlined to focus on each product 's essential function while maintaining LG SIGNATURE 's modern , signature design .
www.LGSIGNATURE.com .

SEOUL, South Korea, December 3. /PRNewswire/. LG SIGNATURE is bringing the world of art and technology together again, leveraging its partnerships with some of the biggest names in art and culture. Joining LG SIGNATURE for its digital campaign are globally renowned institutions such as Russia's Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and La Scala opera house.
A firm believer in the value and importance of art, the brand has forged a new partnership with the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Through an agreement with National Priorities, a Russian governmental organization, LG SIGNATURE is assisting with a major component of a national project – the digitalization of the country's rich cultural heritage. In addition to this immense undertaking, National Priorities is also carrying out important initiatives in the areas of health, demography, economy and ecology.
As part of the agreement, LG SIGNATURE is taking exquisitely detailed closeups of some of the masterpieces in the Pushkin's impressive collection. LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K TV will also be exhibited at upcoming museum events, displaying stunning 8K resolution images and videos of the artworks on show and revealing the incredible skill and techniques of some of history's greatest artists. The Pushkin and LG SIGNATURE will also help share the joy of art with a wider audience via a number of digital projects, starting with the creation of a series of virtual tours of the museum's acclaimed exhibits, which will be available on Russia's leading online video streaming service, IVI (ivi.ru), for free.
LG SIGNATURE, a major sponsor and the Global Electronics Partner of ABT, is once again teaming up with America's preeminent ballet company for a holiday treat for dance-lovers worldwide. This year, the luxury brand will give consumers the opportunity to watch the most exhilarating moments from ABT's The Nutcracker performance through its sponsorship of the first-ever 8K Ultra HD highlights production. Created by celebrated choreographer and ABT artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky, and featuring principal dancers Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside, the magical performance was captured at the High Line Hotel in New York City. The enchanting highlights video will be released on December 4 at 6 p.m. EST on the ABT and LG SIGNATURE YouTube channels. A preview of the landmark video is currently available on both channels.
In Italy, LG SIGNATURE has partnered with Bellavista, one of the most esteemed wineries in the country's famed Franciacorta region, to provide a special online experience. Held on November 26, the virtual event featured LG SIGNATURE's premium lifestyle solutions and shared the compelling story of Bellavista's evolution from a small family concern to a globally respected producer of fine sparkling wines. Through the winery's extraordinary creations and the innovative technology and design of the LG SIGNATURE Wine Cellar, the collaboration helped promote the unique style of Bellavista Franciacorta wines and the importance of proper wine storage.
LG SIGNATURE has also joined forces with La Scala, the historic opera house located in Milan, Italy. The ultra-premium brand, which has been a major sponsor of La Scala since last year, will post a special video of Giuseppe Verdi's beloved opera Rigoletto (performed at La Scala) on its global website www.LGSIGNATURE.com .
"This has been a very tough year for all of us, and we hope that the series of artistic, magical experiences presented in our new digital campaign will delight and enthrall consumers worldwide," said Kim Jin-hong, head of LG Electronics' Global Marketing Center. "Featuring collaborations with global icons of art and culture, and appearances by LG SIGNATURE's extraordinary products, the content we've developed is perfect for enjoying with loved ones while relaxing at home."
About LG SIGNATURE
LG SIGNATURE is an ultra-premium brand across multiple product categories from global innovator LG Electronics. Catering to the most discerning consumers, LG SIGNATURE is designed to provide a state-of-the-art living experience that feels pure, sophisticated and luxurious. The brand's distinctive products were designed with their true essence in mind – streamlined to focus on each product's essential function while maintaining LG SIGNATURE's modern, signature design. www.LGSIGNATURE.com.
Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357718/1_video__LG_SIGNATURE_30_ENG_HD.mp4
Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357714/2_video__LGSIGNATURE_Pushkin_master_ENG_4k.mp4 Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357724/3_video__ABTGala_LG30Sec_112420_V3_LG.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357697/LG_SIGNATURE_Bellavista.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357699/La_Scala.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357698/LG_SIGNATURE_PR_1.jpg
CONTACT: Ken Hong, LG Electronics, Inc., +82 2 3777 3626, ken.hong@lge.com; Jenny Shin, LG Electronics, Inc., +82 2 3777 3692, jungin.shin@lge.com; www.LGnewsroom.com


tass--2020-12-03--Ukraine sees another rise in coronavirus cases

KIEV , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
As many as 14,496 coronavirus cases were recorded in Ukraine in the past @ @ @ @ @ % compared to the day before , the country ’ s Health Minister Maxim Stepanov @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Another 14,496 patients have been identified , '' he said , adding that @ @ @ @ @ 614 medical workers among the new patients .
Stepanov pointed to a positive trend in @ @ @ @ @ `` A total of 15,372 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the past day , @ @ @ @ @ to the Ukrainian Health Ministry , 1,739 coronavirus patients were taken to hospitals in the @ @ @ @ @ died .
Ukraine has so far recorded 772,760 cases , 384,426 recoveries and 12,960 fatalities @ @ @ @ @ PCR coronavirus tests have been conducted in the country .
Ukraine recorded its first coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Lockdown restrictions were introduced in the country on March 17 , which were eased in @ @ @ @ @ be tightened again in the fall due to a rise in infections .

KIEV, December 3. /TASS/. As many as 14,496 coronavirus cases were recorded in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, up 10% compared to the day before, the country’s Health Minister Maxim Stepanov wrote on Facebook on Monday.
"Another 14,496 patients have been identified," he said, adding that there were 745 children and 614 medical workers among the new patients.
Stepanov pointed to a positive trend in the number of recoveries. "A total of 15,372 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the past day," he specified.
According to the Ukrainian Health Ministry, 1,739 coronavirus patients were taken to hospitals in the past 24 hours and 243 died.
Ukraine has so far recorded 772,760 cases, 384,426 recoveries and 12,960 fatalities. As many as 4,654,206 PCR coronavirus tests have been conducted in the country.
Ukraine recorded its first coronavirus case on March 3. Lockdown restrictions were introduced in the country on March 17, which were eased in the summer but had to be tightened again in the fall due to a rise in infections.


tass--2020-12-03--Russian peacekeepers defuse about 100 explosive devices in Nagorno-Karabakh

MOSCOW , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Russian peacekeepers have cleared the southern suburbs of the Nagorno-Karabakh capital , Stepanakert , of mines , the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday .
`` Russian deminers found and defused about 100 explosive devices in the past day .
Explosive devices are taken to a specially equipped area and deactivated in accordance with safety requirements , '' the statement reads .
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that peacekeepers had cleared over 38 hectares of land and about 12 kilometers of roads of mines , inspected more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 1,100 explosive devices .
In addition , they are ensuring the safety of those working to restore power lines , a gas pipeline and electrical substations .
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27 , with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The conflict over the disputed territory , primarily populated by ethnic Armenians , broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic .
In 1992-1994 , tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them .
On November 9 , Russian President Vladimir Putin , Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10 .
The Russian leader said that Azerbaijan and Armenia would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region .
According to the Russian Defense Ministry , Russian observation points have been established along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The peacekeeping operation ’ s command is stationed in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital of Stepanakert .

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. Russian peacekeepers have cleared the southern suburbs of the Nagorno-Karabakh capital, Stepanakert, of mines, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"Russian deminers found and defused about 100 explosive devices in the past day. Explosive devices are taken to a specially equipped area and deactivated in accordance with safety requirements," the statement reads.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that peacekeepers had cleared over 38 hectares of land and about 12 kilometers of roads of mines, inspected more than 100 homes and social facilities, and deactivated about 1,100 explosive devices. In addition, they are ensuring the safety of those working to restore power lines, a gas pipeline and electrical substations.
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict over the disputed territory, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them.
On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said that Azerbaijan and Armenia would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian observation points have been established along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor connecting the region with Armenia. The peacekeeping operation’s command is stationed in the Nagorno-Karabakh capital of Stepanakert.


tass--2020-12-03--Supermicro Enterprise-Class 4-Socket SuperServer Now Certified for Workloads

SAN JOSE , Calif. , December 3 .
/PRNewswire/ .
Super Micro Computer , Inc. ( Nasdaq : SMCI ) , a global leader in enterprise computing , storage , networking solutions and green computing technology , today announced that its 4-socket server platform , powered by advanced 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with built-in AI acceleration , is now certified for SAP HANA as well as Oracle Linux and virtualization .
Shipping in volume , the 2U 4-socket server , combined with advanced enterprise software , enables customers to leverage the value , benefit , and simplicity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Oracle workloads .
`` Supermicro 's 4-socket server , based on the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon scalable processor , has shown great market penetration and positive feedback from enterprise customers , '' said Raju Penumatcha , senior vice president and chief product officer at Supermicro .
`` With the addition of SAP and Oracle certifications , customers can quickly use the 4-socket platform to support top enterprise and cloud requirements . ''
The 4-socket server features the latest Intel CPU and storage technologies : up to 112 Xeon cores and up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of DDR and Intel 2nd Generation Optane Data Center Persistent Memory .
CPU interconnects increases from 3 UPI lanes to 6UPI lanes for vastly improved system latency and throughput .
The system supports up to 24NVMe drives and 100Gb/s networking .
There is an industry transition underway where 4-socket x86 clusters are replacing Unix stacks in enterprises and financial institutions with high availability and performance that can match or outperform traditional mainframes .
Supermicro has been collaborating with companies developing and testing with the 4-socket platforms for traditional mainframe use cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions , high-frequency trading , and real-time routing for the largest ride-sharing companies in the market today .
`` At N5 Technologies , our Rumi™ platform enables businesses to drive in-the-moment business actions by deriving contextual and relevant insights from massive volumes of data in real-time , '' said Girish Mutreja , CEO N5 Technologies .
`` With the Supermicro 4-socket platform , we achieved astonishing , mainframe-class , transactional performance with blazing fast response , against a massive 50TB of data Supermicro 's 4-socket line of servers provide amazing in-memory computing performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that require serious computing power . ''
For more information on the Supermicro 4-socket server , visit here .
Follow Supermicro on LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook to receive their latest news and announcements .
Supermicro ( Nasdaq : SMCI ) , the leading innovator in high-performance , high-efficiency server and storage technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Enterprise Data Center , Cloud Computing , Artificial Intelligence , and Edge Computing Systems worldwide .
Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its `` We Keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the most energy-efficient , environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market .
Supermicro , Server Building Block Solutions , and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer , Inc. All other brands , names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners .

SAN JOSE, Calif., December 3. /PRNewswire/. Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMCI), a global leader in enterprise computing, storage, networking solutions and green computing technology, today announced that its 4-socket server platform, powered by advanced 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with built-in AI acceleration, is now certified for SAP HANA as well as Oracle Linux and virtualization. Shipping in volume, the 2U 4-socket server, combined with advanced enterprise software, enables customers to leverage the value, benefit, and simplicity of these turn-key solutions for computationally intensive SAP and Oracle workloads.
"Supermicro's 4-socket server, based on the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon scalable processor, has shown great market penetration and positive feedback from enterprise customers," said Raju Penumatcha, senior vice president and chief product officer at Supermicro. "With the addition of SAP and Oracle certifications, customers can quickly use the 4-socket platform to support top enterprise and cloud requirements."
The 4-socket server features the latest Intel CPU and storage technologies: up to 112 Xeon cores and up to 18TB of system memory when provisioned in a mix of DDR and Intel 2nd Generation Optane Data Center Persistent Memory. CPU interconnects increases from 3 UPI lanes to 6UPI lanes for vastly improved system latency and throughput. The system supports up to 24NVMe drives and 100Gb/s networking.
There is an industry transition underway where 4-socket x86 clusters are replacing Unix stacks in enterprises and financial institutions with high availability and performance that can match or outperform traditional mainframes. Supermicro has been collaborating with companies developing and testing with the 4-socket platforms for traditional mainframe use cases such as real-time fraud detection for financial institutions, high-frequency trading, and real-time routing for the largest ride-sharing companies in the market today.
"At N5 Technologies, our Rumi™ platform enables businesses to drive in-the-moment business actions by deriving contextual and relevant insights from massive volumes of data in real-time," said Girish Mutreja, CEO N5 Technologies. "With the Supermicro 4-socket platform, we achieved astonishing, mainframe-class, transactional performance with blazing fast response, against a massive 50TB of data Supermicro's 4-socket line of servers provide amazing in-memory computing performance and strong value proposition for any enterprises that require serious computing power."
For more information on the Supermicro 4-socket server, visit here.
Follow Supermicro on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to receive their latest news and announcements.
About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro (Nasdaq: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server and storage technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Enterprise Data Center, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Edge Computing Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green®" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market.
Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SMCI-F
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1346722/supermicro.jpg
CONTACT: Greg Kaufman, Super Micro Computer, Inc., pr@supermicro.com


tass--2020-12-03--Two people died in central Moscow hospital fire

MOSCOW , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
The number of people who died in a fire that broke out in @ @ @ @ @ Thursday has risen to two , an emergency service source told TASS .
`` Information @ @ @ @ @ injured person died when being checked up by medical workers .
Overall , there are @ @ @ @ @ fire , '' the source noted .
The Moscow Emergency Ministry department also confirmed the @ @ @ @ @ two people died in the fire , '' the press service noted , adding that @ @ @ @ @ were involved in the operation to put the fire out .
The fire broke out @ @ @ @ @ , 30 square meters were engulfed in flame when fire fighters arrived .

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. The number of people who died in a fire that broke out in a hospital in central Moscow Thursday has risen to two, an emergency service source told TASS.
"Information has been received that the injured person died when being checked up by medical workers. Overall, there are two dead people in the fire," the source noted.
The Moscow Emergency Ministry department also confirmed the report. "Unfortunately, two people died in the fire," the press service noted, adding that 88 people and 27 vehicles were involved in the operation to put the fire out.
The fire broke out at 04:50 am Moscow time, 30 square meters were engulfed in flame when fire fighters arrived.


tass--2020-12-03--Still time to extend New START, says Russian envoy to US

WASHINGTON , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
There is still enough time to extend the Russian-US Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms ( New START ) , Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday at a videoconference organized by Washington ’ s Brookings Institution .
He was asked whether there is any time left for the countries to extend the treaty .
`` We have time .
We can get it [ extension ] very quickly .
If anybody can call me now from State Department or White House , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to continue such negotiations , '' he noted .
The diplomat also highlighted that Russia has `` an excellent team in Moscow '' tasked with arms control issues .
The envoy added that Russia is still in talks with the current US administration to secure a possible extension of the treaty .
`` Yes , we are in close contact with [ US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control ] Marshall Billingslea who is a key negotiator from the American side , '' Antonov added .
According to him , the parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extension .
`` We are still in dialogue , we hope that we will continue it for the foreseeable future , '' the Russian ambassador concluded .
Moscow and Washington signed the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in 2010 .
Under its terms , either country must reduce its strategic offensive arms in such a way that at the end of the seventh year following its entry into force and later on their overall amounts should not exceed 700 units of deployed inter-continental ballistic missiles ( ICBMs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and heavy bombers , 1,550 warheads and 800 operational and non-operational missile launchers and strategic bombers .
The treaty was concluded for a period of ten years ( until February 5 , 2021 ) .
It can be replaced by a follow-up agreement before the deadline expires , or prolonged for no more than five years ( until 2026 ) by mutual consent .
On October 16 , Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed extending New START by at least a year without any additional conditions .
According to him , this will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In turn , the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia is ready to freeze its nuclear arsenals with the US in case the treaty is extended , and no additional demands are put forward by Washington .
Antonov has voiced hope that the Russian-American dialogue between heads of diplomatic and defense agencies can be resumed .
`` We [ Russia and the US ] need to restore channels of communication .
I am dreaming to see the minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation and the minister of defense of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to restore the 2+2 channel .
It is an excellent channel to exchange views on various issues .
Everybody can raise any issue of interest , but at the same time we can restart it and we can find a wider base for potential cooperation between the United States and Russia , '' Antonov told a videoconference organized by Washington ’ s Brookings Institution .
Moscow was hoping to hold discussions with Washington on missile defense , hypersonic weapons and other emerging systems after extending the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New START ) , however , the US did not support the Russian approach , trying to essentially prefigure the result of such potential talks , Antonov said .
The decision of Western countries to not follow the US lead in exiting the Treaty on Open Skies demonstrated that problems of implementing this agreement can be resolved , Antonov said .
`` I am a little bit surprised why nobody from Western countries decided to withdraw from the treaty , why they decided not to follow suit of the United States .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems can be possible solved by the special commission that we have in Vienna , '' the Russian diplomat assured when commenting on the recent Open Skies Treaty developments .
At the same time , Antonov underlined that Moscow is concerned by potential scenarios when Western countries , who remain in the treaty , feed data to Washington about Russia .
The US quit the treaty on November 22 .
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry , the Treaty on Open Skies , developed with Moscow ’ s active cooperation , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Together with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the Vienna Document 1999 , the treaty effectively completed the creation of the trust building and transparency regime in the conventional forces field in the European-Atlantic space .
From a practical standpoint , the treaty allows the member states to conduct flights over any territory of each other to survey the military activity in compliance with the established quota .
The treaty outlines flight procedures , treaty compliance verification mechanism , requirements for surveillance planes and restriction on composition and parameters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia of selective compliance with the treaty and violation of a number of the treaty clauses for several years .
Russia has its own complaints to Washington regarding the treaty implementation .
In 2017 , Washington announced introduction of certain restrictions against Russian surveillance flight over the US territory , causing Russia to respond in a mirror-like fashion .
Russia wants to cooperate in the Arctic and opposes the efforts to turn this region into a zone of international cooperation , Antonov said .
`` The Arctic is a zone of friendship and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I can say right away that we are against any competition in high latitudes , '' he noted .
`` We support the principle of pragmatism in cooperation in the Arctic , including in the bilateral relations .
We know the need for joint active work to address the problems of the Arctic . ''
The Russian envoy underlined that there is a `` huge agenda for a potential cooperation between the United States and Russia . ''
According to him , Moscow is ready for cooperation and is waiting for `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue .
Russia will follow the state protocol and will congratulate the US presidential election winner after all the necessary guidelines and procedures are followed and official results are announced , Antonov said .
He was asked when Russian President Vladimir Putin will offer congratulations to US Democratic nominee Joe Biden for his presumptive victory .
`` Firstly , I am not working in the Kremlin , I am not in close contact with Mr. Putin .
But , of course , I am aware of the position of the Russian Federation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s American people who decide themselves who will run this country .
We will recognize any choice that your people make , '' Antonov responded .
`` As I understand , we need to wait [ for the end ] of some legal procedures in your country , when all official results will be announced .
It goes without saying that after this moment or this event , everything will be done in accordance with the state protocol , '' the envoy concluded .
Last week , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider the decision to wait for official results of the election and resolution of the legal challenges put forward by incumbent President Donald Trump as Putin ’ s rejection of the Biden victory .
He also added that the messages of congratulations that had already been sent by other world leaders to Biden are not influencing Putin ’ s plans .
The United States held the presidential elections on November 3 .
Though the vote count is still underway , major US media outlets project that the Democratic contender has presumptively won the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press have put Biden over the top , beyond the needed 270 vote threshold .
The US General Services Administration ( GSA ) practically recognized Biden ’ s victory and notified him in writing about the readiness to provide budget funds necessary to launch transition of power .
The inauguration ceremony will take place on January 20 .
Nevertheless , Trump is challenging the current outcome , claiming irregularities in the ballot processing in key swing states , and has filed lawsuits to fight his case in court .
Latest reports show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , while Trump racked up 74 million ballots .

WASHINGTON, December 3. /TASS/. There is still enough time to extend the Russian-US Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday at a videoconference organized by Washington’s Brookings Institution.
He was asked whether there is any time left for the countries to extend the treaty. "We have time. We can get it [extension] very quickly. If anybody can call me now from State Department or White House, I am ready to come. I am ready to continue such negotiations," he noted. The diplomat also highlighted that Russia has "an excellent team in Moscow" tasked with arms control issues.
The envoy added that Russia is still in talks with the current US administration to secure a possible extension of the treaty. "Yes, we are in close contact with [US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control] Marshall Billingslea who is a key negotiator from the American side," Antonov added. According to him, the parties are exchanging proposals on the New START extension.
"We are still in dialogue, we hope that we will continue it for the foreseeable future," the Russian ambassador concluded.
New START
Moscow and Washington signed the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in 2010. Under its terms, either country must reduce its strategic offensive arms in such a way that at the end of the seventh year following its entry into force and later on their overall amounts should not exceed 700 units of deployed inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers, 1,550 warheads and 800 operational and non-operational missile launchers and strategic bombers.
The treaty was concluded for a period of ten years (until February 5, 2021). It can be replaced by a follow-up agreement before the deadline expires, or prolonged for no more than five years (until 2026) by mutual consent.
On October 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed extending New START by at least a year without any additional conditions. According to him, this will provide time to conduct substantial talks. In turn, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia is ready to freeze its nuclear arsenals with the US in case the treaty is extended, and no additional demands are put forward by Washington.
2+2 talks with US
Antonov has voiced hope that the Russian-American dialogue between heads of diplomatic and defense agencies can be resumed.
"We [Russia and the US] need to restore channels of communication. I am dreaming to see the minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation and the minister of defense of the Russian Federation to come to Washington in order to restore the 2+2 channel. It is an excellent channel to exchange views on various issues. Everybody can raise any issue of interest, but at the same time we can restart it and we can find a wider base for potential cooperation between the United States and Russia," Antonov told a videoconference organized by Washington’s Brookings Institution.
Missile defense
Moscow was hoping to hold discussions with Washington on missile defense, hypersonic weapons and other emerging systems after extending the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), however, the US did not support the Russian approach, trying to essentially prefigure the result of such potential talks, Antonov said.
Open Skies Treaty
The decision of Western countries to not follow the US lead in exiting the Treaty on Open Skies demonstrated that problems of implementing this agreement can be resolved, Antonov said.
"I am a little bit surprised why nobody from Western countries decided to withdraw from the treaty, why they decided not to follow suit of the United States. It means that they are sure that all problems can be possible solved by the special commission that we have in Vienna," the Russian diplomat assured when commenting on the recent Open Skies Treaty developments.
At the same time, Antonov underlined that Moscow is concerned by potential scenarios when Western countries, who remain in the treaty, feed data to Washington about Russia.
The US quit the treaty on November 22.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Treaty on Open Skies, developed with Moscow’s active cooperation, is a major trust and security building measure. Together with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the Vienna Document 1999, the treaty effectively completed the creation of the trust building and transparency regime in the conventional forces field in the European-Atlantic space.
From a practical standpoint, the treaty allows the member states to conduct flights over any territory of each other to survey the military activity in compliance with the established quota. The treaty outlines flight procedures, treaty compliance verification mechanism, requirements for surveillance planes and restriction on composition and parameters of the surveillance hardware.
Washington was accusing Russia of selective compliance with the treaty and violation of a number of the treaty clauses for several years. Russia has its own complaints to Washington regarding the treaty implementation. In 2017, Washington announced introduction of certain restrictions against Russian surveillance flight over the US territory, causing Russia to respond in a mirror-like fashion.
Arctic
Russia wants to cooperate in the Arctic and opposes the efforts to turn this region into a zone of international cooperation, Antonov said.
"The Arctic is a zone of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Russia. I can say right away that we are against any competition in high latitudes," he noted. "We support the principle of pragmatism in cooperation in the Arctic, including in the bilateral relations. We know the need for joint active work to address the problems of the Arctic."
The Russian envoy underlined that there is a "huge agenda for a potential cooperation between the United States and Russia." According to him, Moscow is ready for cooperation and is waiting for "any reaction" from Washington on this issue.
US election winner
Russia will follow the state protocol and will congratulate the US presidential election winner after all the necessary guidelines and procedures are followed and official results are announced, Antonov said.
He was asked when Russian President Vladimir Putin will offer congratulations to US Democratic nominee Joe Biden for his presumptive victory. "Firstly, I am not working in the Kremlin, I am not in close contact with Mr. Putin. But, of course, I am aware of the position of the Russian Federation on this issue. We consider that it’s American people who decide themselves who will run this country. We will recognize any choice that your people make," Antonov responded.
"As I understand, we need to wait [for the end] of some legal procedures in your country, when all official results will be announced. It goes without saying that after this moment or this event, everything will be done in accordance with the state protocol," the envoy concluded.
Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the Kremlin deems it wrong to consider the decision to wait for official results of the election and resolution of the legal challenges put forward by incumbent President Donald Trump as Putin’s rejection of the Biden victory. He also added that the messages of congratulations that had already been sent by other world leaders to Biden are not influencing Putin’s plans.
The United States held the presidential elections on November 3. Though the vote count is still underway, major US media outlets project that the Democratic contender has presumptively won the presidential election. Both Fox News and Associated Press have put Biden over the top, beyond the needed 270 vote threshold.
The US General Services Administration (GSA) practically recognized Biden’s victory and notified him in writing about the readiness to provide budget funds necessary to launch transition of power. The inauguration ceremony will take place on January 20. Nevertheless, Trump is challenging the current outcome, claiming irregularities in the ballot processing in key swing states, and has filed lawsuits to fight his case in court. Latest reports show that Biden secured more than 80 million votes, while Trump racked up 74 million ballots.


tass--2020-12-03--Ex-French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing dies from coronavirus

PARIS , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Former French leader Valery Giscard d ’ Estaing has died aged 94 from @ @ @ @ @ Agence France-Presse on Thursday .
`` Valery Giscard d ’ Estaing died on December 2 @ @ @ @ @ the Loir-et-Cher Department .
The death came as a result of sharp deterioration of his @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 , '' the statement of the politician ’ s family reads .
His @ @ @ @ @ a close family circle .
The French National Assembly held a minute of silence to @ @ @ @ @

PARIS, December 3. /TASS/. Former French leader Valery Giscard d’Estaing has died aged 94 from COVID-19, his family told Agence France-Presse on Thursday.
"Valery Giscard d’Estaing died on December 2 in his family home in the Loir-et-Cher Department. The death came as a result of sharp deterioration of his health condition, he died from COVID-19," the statement of the politician’s family reads. His funeral will be attended by a close family circle.
The French National Assembly held a minute of silence to honor the former president.


tass--2020-12-02--International electric vehicle rally kicks off on Hainan

HAIKOU , December 2 .
/TASS/ .
The 2020 International Electric Marathon kicked off Wednesday on Hainan .
The five-day rally started from the Wuyuanhe Sports Stadium , Xinhua reported .
The total length of the route , laid in such a way that the participants circled the whole island , will amount to 840 km .
The rally also includes a field track race and straight-line acceleration competitions on selected sections .
The route , which includes four main stages , will pass through 11 cities and counties of the Hainan province .
This rally will also wrap up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province in China to announce plans to completely end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles on the island by 2030 in order to combat pollution and protect the local environment .
In order to do so , the government will encourage people to purchase electric and hybrid vehicles , as well as develop the infrastructure necessary for them .
In order to popularize electric vehicles and protect the unique ecology of the region , by the end of 2020 , the provincial authorities plan to set up 70,000 charging stations , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 260,000 .
According to the government plans , by the end of 2030 , 940,000 charging stations should be installed in the region , and the total number of cars running on new energy sources should reach about 1 million units .

HAIKOU, December 2. /TASS/. The 2020 International Electric Marathon kicked off Wednesday on Hainan. The five-day rally started from the Wuyuanhe Sports Stadium, Xinhua reported.
The total length of the route, laid in such a way that the participants circled the whole island, will amount to 840 km. The rally also includes a field track race and straight-line acceleration competitions on selected sections. The route, which includes four main stages, will pass through 11 cities and counties of the Hainan province. This rally will also wrap up in Haikou.
Hainan is the first province in China to announce plans to completely end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles on the island by 2030 in order to combat pollution and protect the local environment. In order to do so, the government will encourage people to purchase electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as develop the infrastructure necessary for them.
In order to popularize electric vehicles and protect the unique ecology of the region, by the end of 2020, the provincial authorities plan to set up 70,000 charging stations, and by 2025, bring their number to 260,000.
According to the government plans, by the end of 2030, 940,000 charging stations should be installed in the region, and the total number of cars running on new energy sources should reach about 1 million units.


tass--2020-12-03--Russia favors hammering out OSCE commitments on public access to information, says Lavrov

MOSCOW , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Russia believes it is important to hammer out the commitments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) on public access to information against the backdrop of the West ’ s attempts to forget about that principle , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his video address to the participants in the OSCE Ministerial Council conference .
Russia ’ s top diplomat stressed that citizens ' social and economic rights and the realization of the right to development were acquiring special significance .
According to Lavrov , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the same time , an increasing intolerance towards alternative viewpoints reflecting the truth is observed in a number of the organization ’ s member countries , Lavrov went on to say .
`` Not only traditional censorship , but also the technical capabilities of social networks and tech giants are used against undesirable information resources and dissidents , '' he stressed .
`` We are in favor of hammering out the OSCE 's commitments in the field of public access to information .
This principle was proclaimed in the early 1990s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like it to sink into oblivion , '' the minister said .
Referring to social rights , Lavrov expressed profound concern about the plight of the Russian-speaking population in the Baltic countries and Ukraine .
He also drew attention to the Ministerial Council ’ s instruction in Basil in 2014 on passing declarations in support of Christians and Muslims , which has not been implemented to date , mentioned the `` Yellow Vests '' protests in France , the intensification of interreligious tensions in the world and racial unrest the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all that confirms that acute problems related to respect for human rights can not be sought only `` east of Vienna .
`` .

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. Russia believes it is important to hammer out the commitments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on public access to information against the backdrop of the West’s attempts to forget about that principle, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his video address to the participants in the OSCE Ministerial Council conference.
Russia’s top diplomat stressed that citizens' social and economic rights and the realization of the right to development were acquiring special significance. According to Lavrov, the human rights dimension requires an unbiased approach.
At the same time, an increasing intolerance towards alternative viewpoints reflecting the truth is observed in a number of the organization’s member countries, Lavrov went on to say. "Not only traditional censorship, but also the technical capabilities of social networks and tech giants are used against undesirable information resources and dissidents," he stressed.
"We are in favor of hammering out the OSCE's commitments in the field of public access to information. This principle was proclaimed in the early 1990s, and now our Western colleagues would like it to sink into oblivion," the minister said.
Referring to social rights, Lavrov expressed profound concern about the plight of the Russian-speaking population in the Baltic countries and Ukraine. He also drew attention to the Ministerial Council’s instruction in Basil in 2014 on passing declarations in support of Christians and Muslims, which has not been implemented to date, mentioned the "Yellow Vests" protests in France, the intensification of interreligious tensions in the world and racial unrest the United States. According to Russia’s top diplomat, all that confirms that acute problems related to respect for human rights cannot be sought only "east of Vienna.".


tass--2020-12-04--Russia’s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is set for sea-trials in 2022, says source

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is set to undergo sea-trials in 2022 , a source in the national shipbuilding corporation told TASS on Friday .
`` Next summer , the Admiral Kuznetsov will be docked again and will be then set for sea trials , namely in 2022 , '' the source stated without specifying the progress of repairs on board of the aircraft carrier after the reported fire last year .
The fire aboard the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov broke out during repair works in Murmansk in December 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire could have started due to the violation of safety rules during wielding work .
The fire engulfed an area of 500 square meters .
Two persons were killed and 14 injured in the fire .
A source in the shipbuilding industry told TASS on January 30 that the fire aboard Russia ’ s sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in December 2019 had damaged some electric power cables .
The Project 11435 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is designed to gain superiority at sea and in the air in the areas of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ navy ’ s combat sustainability , deliver air strikes against enemy targets and support troops ’ landing operations .
The warship entered service in 1990 .
It displaces 58,000 tonnes and has a length of 304.5 meters .
The aircraft carrier has a full speed capacity of 200,000 horsepower and develops a speed of up to 30 knots .
Apart from the air task force of 24-26 fighter jets and 12 helicopters , the Admiral Kuznetsov is armed with anti-ship and air defense missile systems .
The warship is equipped with a ski-jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crew of 1,300 while the air group ’ s personnel numbers 660 men .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Russia’s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is set to undergo sea-trials in 2022, a source in the national shipbuilding corporation told TASS on Friday.
"Next summer, the Admiral Kuznetsov will be docked again and will be then set for sea trials, namely in 2022," the source stated without specifying the progress of repairs on board of the aircraft carrier after the reported fire last year.
The fire aboard the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov broke out during repair works in Murmansk in December 2019.
As the emergency services reported, the fire could have started due to the violation of safety rules during wielding work. The fire engulfed an area of 500 square meters. Two persons were killed and 14 injured in the fire.
A source in the shipbuilding industry told TASS on January 30 that the fire aboard Russia’s sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in December 2019 had damaged some electric power cables.
Aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov
The Project 11435 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is designed to gain superiority at sea and in the air in the areas of the fleet’s operation to ensure the navy’s combat sustainability, deliver air strikes against enemy targets and support troops’ landing operations.
The warship entered service in 1990. It displaces 58,000 tonnes and has a length of 304.5 meters. The aircraft carrier has a full speed capacity of 200,000 horsepower and develops a speed of up to 30 knots. Apart from the air task force of 24-26 fighter jets and 12 helicopters, the Admiral Kuznetsov is armed with anti-ship and air defense missile systems.
The warship is equipped with a ski-jump and two aircraft elevators. It has a crew of 1,300 while the air group’s personnel numbers 660 men.


tass--2020-12-04--Serbian President Vucic says first batch of Russian Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccine delivered

BELGARDE , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
A pilot batch of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine of 20 doses was delivered to Serbia , Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said .
`` Our task is to provide vaccines and let people make their choice as every vaccine , which will be officially registered in major states , is good , '' Vucic said in an interview with Serbian television channel RTS late on Thursday .
`` I can deliver exclusive information by saying that today a first batch of the Russian vaccine , 20 doses , was delivered to Serbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president also stated that he was not taking into account recommendations from Brussels regarding the choice of the offered anti-COVID vaccines .
`` It does not interest me at all ; I respect Brussels , but I love Serbia more , and I love the most people living in Serbia , '' Vucic said , when asked by journalists , whether Serbia would decide to make a choice of the Russian vaccine over the one from China .
`` If we manage to save another life , I ’ ll be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels , Washington , Moscow and Beijing , '' he continued .
`` If I decided against the Russian or Chinese vaccine over the opinion of Brussels , how would I go to sleep knowing that people , who could have been saved , are dying ; how would I have lived with that ? ''
Vucic added .
The Serbian leader also stated that the delivered batch of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine would be thoroughly examined by Serbian experts , who would decide whether it should be used for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 that he was ready to be the first to test the Russian anti-coronavirus vaccine `` when Serbian specialists say it is good . ''
On November 12 , he said his country had agreed on the purchase of 1.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and was negotiating possible purchase of vaccines from China and Russia .
On August 11 , Russia registered the world ’ s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus .
The vaccine , dubbed Sputnik V , was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its clinical trials were successfully completed in June-July .
The Russian health ministry said on August 15 that production of the vaccine had been launched .
The third , post-registration , stage of clinical tests began in Moscow on September 7 .
Volunteers were inoculated with the first dose of the vaccine on September .
As many as 40,000 people are involved in the trials , with 10,000 of them being inoculated with a placebo .
According to the interim test results , the vaccine ’ s efficiency exceeds 95 % on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first dose in case the patient received the second dose as well .
Orders for more than 1.2 billion doses of the Sputnik V vaccine have come from more than 50 countries .
International partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund in India , Brazil , China , South Korea and other countries will manufacture the vaccine for exports .
Two domestically-developed anti-coronavirus vaccines have been registered in Russia .
One of them , Sputnik V , was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was developed by the Vector Center .
Another one , developed by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products is expected to be registered soon .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 65,418,220 people have been infected worldwide and more than 1,509,430 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 45,266,290 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe .

BELGARDE, December 4. /TASS/. A pilot batch of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine of 20 doses was delivered to Serbia, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.
"Our task is to provide vaccines and let people make their choice as every vaccine, which will be officially registered in major states, is good," Vucic said in an interview with Serbian television channel RTS late on Thursday.
"I can deliver exclusive information by saying that today a first batch of the Russian vaccine, 20 doses, was delivered to Serbia," Vucic said.
The Serbian president also stated that he was not taking into account recommendations from Brussels regarding the choice of the offered anti-COVID vaccines.
"It does not interest me at all; I respect Brussels, but I love Serbia more, and I love the most people living in Serbia," Vucic said, when asked by journalists, whether Serbia would decide to make a choice of the Russian vaccine over the one from China.
"If we manage to save another life, I’ll be able to withstand any reprimand from Brussels. From Brussels, Washington, Moscow and Beijing," he continued.
"If I decided against the Russian or Chinese vaccine over the opinion of Brussels, how would I go to sleep knowing that people, who could have been saved, are dying; how would I have lived with that?" Vucic added.
The Serbian leader also stated that the delivered batch of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine would be thoroughly examined by Serbian experts, who would decide whether it should be used for the national population.
Vucic announced on August 11 that he was ready to be the first to test the Russian anti-coronavirus vaccine "when Serbian specialists say it is good." On November 12, he said his country had agreed on the purchase of 1.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and was negotiating possible purchase of vaccines from China and Russia.
On August 11, Russia registered the world’s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, and its clinical trials were successfully completed in June-July.
The Russian health ministry said on August 15 that production of the vaccine had been launched. The third, post-registration, stage of clinical tests began in Moscow on September 7. Volunteers were inoculated with the first dose of the vaccine on September. As many as 40,000 people are involved in the trials, with 10,000 of them being inoculated with a placebo.
According to the interim test results, the vaccine’s efficiency exceeds 95% on the 42nd day after inoculation with the first dose in case the patient received the second dose as well.
Orders for more than 1.2 billion doses of the Sputnik V vaccine have come from more than 50 countries. International partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and other countries will manufacture the vaccine for exports.
Two domestically-developed anti-coronavirus vaccines have been registered in Russia. One of them, Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, the other one, Epivaccorona, was developed by the Vector Center.
Another one, developed by the Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products is expected to be registered soon.
Global coronavirus crisis
In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 65,418,220 people have been infected worldwide and more than 1,509,430 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 45,266,290 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.


tass--2020-12-04--OPEC+ countries will meet monthly to distribute output based on market situation - Novak

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
The OPEC+ countries have agreed to return 2 mln barrels of oil per day ( bpd ) to the market , but the increase in oil production will be gradual - in January 2021 , it is planned to increase production by only 500,000 barrels per day .
At the same time , OPEC+ will monthly assess the state of the market and , if necessary , adjust the production volumes within the framework of the deal , Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said at a press conference following the meeting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2020 , the countries will increase their production by 500,000 barrels per day , '' he said .
`` Monthly meetings will be held starting from January - in be January , February , March - to assess the state of the market and make decisions on changing production levels for the next month , '' Novak added .
Meanwhile , the monthly adjustment of oil production from the beginning of 2021 can be either upward or downward , but by no more than 500,000 barrels per day ( bpd ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to take into account both positive and negative factors in the analysis , so the decisions may be different .
At the same time , we proceed from the assumption that each adjustment will be no more than 500,000 barrels per day every month , '' he said .
Novak added that a sharp increase in oil production from January 1 , 2021 , by 2 mln barrels per day ( bpd ) , as originally stipulated by the OPEC+ agreement , would be dangerous for the market in conditions of low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes an increase of 2 mln barrels per day starting from January .
We have agreed to increase by only 500,000 barrels per day , because we understand that 2 mln in the market would be unsafe , so a gradual growth is a good solution that allows us to essentially evaluate and target the market on a monthly basis , '' he said .
Russia may increase production from January 2021 by 125,000 barrels per day ( bpd ) under the new OPEC+ quota , this has been agreed with Russian companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase [ production ] in January , indeed , if today we made a decision that together we will increase production by 500,000 barrels in January , then Russia 's share in it is 125,000 barrels , '' he said .
Novak noted that this issue was discussed with Russian companies .
`` Companies have confirmed their readiness to increase [ production ] if such consolidated decision is made by all countries , '' he added .
At the same time , Russia ’ s compliance with the OPEC+ agreement since May 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November the level of implementation turned out to be about the same .
`` Russia has been fulfilling the agreement , starting from May , close to 100 % , and November was no exception , '' he said .
Novak will discuss the situation in the oil market with Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia , Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud , during a face-to-face meeting in the second half of December in the kingdom .
`` As part of our bilateral exchange of views with my colleague , His Royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we agreed that in the second half of December , we will hold a joint meeting with him in Saudi Arabia and discuss market conditions and issues related to energy cooperation between our countries , '' he said .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. The OPEC+ countries have agreed to return 2 mln barrels of oil per day (bpd) to the market, but the increase in oil production will be gradual - in January 2021, it is planned to increase production by only 500,000 barrels per day. At the same time, OPEC+ will monthly assess the state of the market and, if necessary, adjust the production volumes within the framework of the deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said at a press conference following the meeting of the OPEC+ countries.
"Starting from January 2020, the countries will increase their production by 500,000 barrels per day," he said. "Monthly meetings will be held starting from January - in be January, February, March - to assess the state of the market and make decisions on changing production levels for the next month," Novak added.
Meanwhile, the monthly adjustment of oil production from the beginning of 2021 can be either upward or downward, but by no more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd), he added. "We will be ready to take into account both positive and negative factors in the analysis, so the decisions may be different. At the same time, we proceed from the assumption that each adjustment will be no more than 500,000 barrels per day every month," he said.
Novak added that a sharp increase in oil production from January 1, 2021, by 2 mln barrels per day (bpd), as originally stipulated by the OPEC+ agreement, would be dangerous for the market in conditions of low demand in winter. "The deal includes an increase of 2 mln barrels per day starting from January. We have agreed to increase by only 500,000 barrels per day, because we understand that 2 mln in the market would be unsafe, so a gradual growth is a good solution that allows us to essentially evaluate and target the market on a monthly basis," he said.
Russia may increase production from January 2021 by 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) under the new OPEC+ quota, this has been agreed with Russian companies. "As for the opportunities to increase [production] in January, indeed, if today we made a decision that together we will increase production by 500,000 barrels in January, then Russia's share in it is 125,000 barrels," he said.
Novak noted that this issue was discussed with Russian companies. "Companies have confirmed their readiness to increase [production] if such consolidated decision is made by all countries," he added.
At the same time, Russia’s compliance with the OPEC+ agreement since May 2020 is close to 100%, in November the level of implementation turned out to be about the same. "Russia has been fulfilling the agreement, starting from May, close to 100%, and November was no exception," he said.
Novak will discuss the situation in the oil market with Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, during a face-to-face meeting in the second half of December in the kingdom. "As part of our bilateral exchange of views with my colleague, His Royal Highness Mr. Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, we agreed that in the second half of December, we will hold a joint meeting with him in Saudi Arabia and discuss market conditions and issues related to energy cooperation between our countries," he said.


tass--2020-12-04--Post-registration trials of Epivaccorona vaccine held on eight platforms in Russia

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
Post-registration trials of Russia ’ s Epivaccorona COVID-19 vaccine developed by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology `` Vector '' are held on eight different platforms in different Russian regions , head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said on Thursday .
`` Post-registration clinical trials are held on eight different clinical bases : in the Moscow Region , in Kazan and Tyumen , and in Kaliningrad .
It is very important that different regions , different Russian cities take part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Rossiya-1 TV channel .
Popova expressed confidence that all volunteers taking part in the trials will be vaccinated very quickly .
She noted that the trials would last for six months .
The Vector Research Center received the approval of the Russian Health Ministry to carry out clinical trials of the vaccine on volunteers on July 24 .
On July 27 , the first volunteer got the vaccine shot .
Clinical trials of the vaccine ended on September 30 .
The vaccine was registered on October 14 .
On November 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-registration trials of the vaccine on 150 volunteers over 60 years of age , and on November 18 , on 3,000 volunteers .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Post-registration trials of Russia’s Epivaccorona COVID-19 vaccine developed by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector" are held on eight different platforms in different Russian regions, head of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said on Thursday.
"Post-registration clinical trials are held on eight different clinical bases: in the Moscow Region, in Kazan and Tyumen, and in Kaliningrad. It is very important that different regions, different Russian cities take part," she said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel.
Popova expressed confidence that all volunteers taking part in the trials will be vaccinated very quickly. She noted that the trials would last for six months.
The Vector Research Center received the approval of the Russian Health Ministry to carry out clinical trials of the vaccine on volunteers on July 24. On July 27, the first volunteer got the vaccine shot. Clinical trials of the vaccine ended on September 30. The vaccine was registered on October 14. On November 16, the Russian Health Ministry approved the post-registration trials of the vaccine on 150 volunteers over 60 years of age, and on November 18, on 3,000 volunteers.


tass--2020-12-04--Moldova’s President-Elect Sandu demands dissolution of parliament

CHISINAU , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
Moldova ’ s President-Elect Maia Sandu announced a protest rally on December 6 on Chisinau ’ s main square demanding the dissolution of parliament .
She made the corresponding statement on Thursday during a briefing after the Moldovan parliament ruled to strip the president of control over the country ’ s Service of Information and Security .
`` The rally will be held on the Great National Assembly Square on Sunday , December 6 .
< … > When the parliament turns its back on people , it should resign , '' Sandu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contest the parliament ’ s decision in the Constitutional Court .
`` We will demand the annulment of unlawful decisions approved during today ’ s session of parliament .
< … > The Service of Information and Security is not hand luggage , it ’ s an agency that helps the president execute their mandate .
My goal is to fight corruption , '' she stated .
On December 3 , the Moldovan parliament has approved the bill stripping the president of control over the country ’ s Service of Information and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of parliament .
The bill was proposed by the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova , which supports incumbent President Igor Dodon .
Dodon ’ s term of office expires on December 23 .
President-elect Maia Sandu , leader of the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity , was declared winner in the presidential runoff by the Central Election Commission on November 15 .
The results of the election and the new president ’ s mandate are to be approved by Moldova ’ s Constitutional Court .

CHISINAU, December 4. /TASS/. Moldova’s President-Elect Maia Sandu announced a protest rally on December 6 on Chisinau’s main square demanding the dissolution of parliament. She made the corresponding statement on Thursday during a briefing after the Moldovan parliament ruled to strip the president of control over the country’s Service of Information and Security.
"The rally will be held on the Great National Assembly Square on Sunday, December 6. <…> When the parliament turns its back on people, it should resign," Sandu said.
She informed of her plans to contest the parliament’s decision in the Constitutional Court. "We will demand the annulment of unlawful decisions approved during today’s session of parliament. <…> The Service of Information and Security is not hand luggage, it’s an agency that helps the president execute their mandate. My goal is to fight corruption," she stated.
On December 3, the Moldovan parliament has approved the bill stripping the president of control over the country’s Service of Information and Security and moving it under the jurisdiction of parliament. The bill was proposed by the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, which supports incumbent President Igor Dodon.
Dodon’s term of office expires on December 23. President-elect Maia Sandu, leader of the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity, was declared winner in the presidential runoff by the Central Election Commission on November 15. The results of the election and the new president’s mandate are to be approved by Moldova’s Constitutional Court.


tass--2020-12-04--Moscow reports 77 coronavirus deaths in the past day

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
As many as 77 coronavirus patients died in Moscow in the past day @ @ @ @ @ told journalists on Thursday .
`` Seventy-seven patients with confirmed pneumonia and testing positive for @ @ @ @ @ , '' it said .
Overall , 9,203 people have died from coronavirus in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ hit by coronavirus among the Russian regions .
Overall , the capital city records 625,189 @ @ @ @ @ in the past day .
As many as 471,833 patients have recovered .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. As many as 77 coronavirus patients died in Moscow in the past day, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told journalists on Thursday.
"Seventy-seven patients with confirmed pneumonia and testing positive for coronavirus have died in Moscow," it said. Overall, 9,203 people have died from coronavirus in Moscow.
Moscow is the hardest hit by coronavirus among the Russian regions. Overall, the capital city records 625,189 COVID-19 cases, including 7,750 in the past day. As many as 471,833 patients have recovered.


tass--2020-12-04--Karabakh conflict must be resolved within OSCE Minsk Group, says Armenian top diplomat

YEREVAN , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved through negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group , which has the international mandate for regulation in the region , Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said during a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council on Thursday .
`` A solution to the Karabakh conflict should be found through negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group , which has the international mandate for Nagorno-Karabakh regulation .
In this regard , we commend the statement made by the co-chairs earlier today , which demonstrated once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their commitment to a comprehensive , stable and peaceful conflict regulation through negotiations , '' the minister stated .
Ayvazyan also agreed that all foreign mercenaries that had been brought to the conflict zone by Azerbaijan and Turkey must leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Earlier on Thursday , heads of delegations from Russia , France and the US , co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group , issued a statement in which they urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to take advantage of the current ceasefire to negotiate a lasting and sustainable peace agreement under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also noted that all foreign mercenaries must leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh , and Baku and Yerevan must aid this process .

YEREVAN, December 4. /TASS/. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved through negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has the international mandate for regulation in the region, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said during a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council on Thursday.
"A solution to the Karabakh conflict should be found through negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has the international mandate for Nagorno-Karabakh regulation. In this regard, we commend the statement made by the co-chairs earlier today, which demonstrated once again the unity of the co-chairs and their commitment to a comprehensive, stable and peaceful conflict regulation through negotiations," the minister stated.
Ayvazyan also agreed that all foreign mercenaries that had been brought to the conflict zone by Azerbaijan and Turkey must leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Earlier on Thursday, heads of delegations from Russia, France and the US, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, issued a statement in which they urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to take advantage of the current ceasefire to negotiate a lasting and sustainable peace agreement under the auspices of the co-chairs. They also noted that all foreign mercenaries must leave the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Baku and Yerevan must aid this process.


tass--2020-12-04--Number of coronavirus cases worldwide exceeds 65 million - Johns Hopkins University

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide exceeded 65 million @ @ @ @ @ US-based Johns Hopkins University , which relies on data from international organizations , federal and @ @ @ @ @ research university reports that at present , the global number of people infected with the @ @ @ @ @ , while the death toll has reached 1,502,728 .
Over 41,705,000 patients have already recovered @ @ @ @ @ United States is the leading country in terms of confirmed novel coronavirus cases ( 14,086,016 @ @ @ @ @ ( 9,534,964 ) and Brazil ( 6,436,650 ) .
According to Johns Hopkins University , @ @ @ @ @ terms of reported positive COVID-19 cases .
To date , 2,375,546 coronavirus cases have been @ @ @ @ @ 1,859,851 patients having recovered from the disease , according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center .
@ @ @ @ @ indicates 41,607 fatalities nationwide .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus worldwide exceeded 65 million on Thursday, according the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which relies on data from international organizations, federal and local authorities.
The US-based research university reports that at present, the global number of people infected with the novel coronavirus stands at 65,016,336, while the death toll has reached 1,502,728. Over 41,705,000 patients have already recovered from the disease.
The United States is the leading country in terms of confirmed novel coronavirus cases (14,086,016), followed by India (9,534,964) and Brazil (6,436,650).
According to Johns Hopkins University, Russia is ranked 4th in terms of reported positive COVID-19 cases.
To date, 2,375,546 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,859,851 patients having recovered from the disease, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. Russia’s latest data indicates 41,607 fatalities nationwide.


tass--2020-12-04--US-based Delta Airlines to collect passenger data for COVID-19 contact tracing

NEW YORK , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Delta Airlines will be the first US-based airline to collect data from passengers that may have come into contact with COVID-19 patients , a statement published on the company ’ s website on Thursday informs .
`` Delta is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep international customers informed of potential COVID-19 exposure through contact tracing .
Along with our nine global airline partners , we are working with government agencies , health officials and aviation authorities to offer safer travel at every point in your journey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 15 , Delta will become the first U.S. airline to ask customers traveling to the U.S. from an international location to voluntarily provide five pieces of data to aid contact tracing and public health follow-up efforts , including : full name , email address , address in the U.S. , primary phone , secondary phone . ''
Passengers of any Delta-operated flight , as well as foreigners arriving to the US , will be able to participate in this program on a voluntary basis .
The data collected will be sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( CDC ) .
`` This will give the CDC access to the data in moments , dramatically decreasing the time it takes to notify affected customers via local health departments , '' the statement notes .
According to the current procedure , in case of a confirmed COVID-19 case among the passengers , the CDC requests information from Delta to identify all customers seated two seats around the confirmed case .
`` This information is then transmitted to the appropriate local health departments for follow-up , with each department taking responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delta Airlines informed .
According to the US-based Johns Hopkins University , the US has documented over 13.9 mln cases of COVID-19 , and approximately 273,900 people have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic .
The US ranks first in the world on COVID-19 cases and deaths .

NEW YORK, December 3. /TASS/. Delta Airlines will be the first US-based airline to collect data from passengers that may have come into contact with COVID-19 patients, a statement published on the company’s website on Thursday informs.
"Delta is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep international customers informed of potential COVID-19 exposure through contact tracing. Along with our nine global airline partners, we are working with government agencies, health officials and aviation authorities to offer safer travel at every point in your journey," the statement reads. "Beginning Dec. 15, Delta will become the first U.S. airline to ask customers traveling to the U.S. from an international location to voluntarily provide five pieces of data to aid contact tracing and public health follow-up efforts, including: full name, email address, address in the U.S., primary phone, secondary phone."
Passengers of any Delta-operated flight, as well as foreigners arriving to the US, will be able to participate in this program on a voluntary basis. The data collected will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "This will give the CDC access to the data in moments, dramatically decreasing the time it takes to notify affected customers via local health departments," the statement notes.
According to the current procedure, in case of a confirmed COVID-19 case among the passengers, the CDC requests information from Delta to identify all customers seated two seats around the confirmed case. "This information is then transmitted to the appropriate local health departments for follow-up, with each department taking responsibility for passengers in their own jurisdiction," Delta Airlines informed.
According to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, the US has documented over 13.9 mln cases of COVID-19, and approximately 273,900 people have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic. The US ranks first in the world on COVID-19 cases and deaths.


tass--2020-12-04--Russian radars track 30 foreign spy planes and six drones over week

MOSCOW , December 4 .
/TASS/ .
Russian radars tracked 36 foreign aircraft that conducted air reconnaissance near Russia ’ s state border over the past week , the Russian Defense Ministry ’ s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported on Friday .
The paper ’ s infographics show that 30 foreign spy planes and six drones conducted air reconnaissance along Russia ’ s state borders in the past week .
The flights by foreign spy aircraft were tracked by Russian radar stations .
No violations of the Russian state border were allowed , according to the newspaper , which cited information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper also reported that two Russian fighter jets were scrambled during the week to prevent the violation of Russia ’ s airspace .
Also , Su-35S , Il-76MD-90A and Su-34 aircraft were delivered to the troops under the defense procurement plan , the infographics show .
Last week , Aerospace Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Andrei Yudin said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that Russian air defense quick reaction alert forces detected and intercepted over 1,300 foreign spy planes in 2020 .
According to Yudin , the Russian fighter aircraft from air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 170 times to intercept foreign planes near Russia ’ s borders .

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Russian radars tracked 36 foreign aircraft that conducted air reconnaissance near Russia’s state border over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported on Friday.
The paper’s infographics show that 30 foreign spy planes and six drones conducted air reconnaissance along Russia’s state borders in the past week.
The flights by foreign spy aircraft were tracked by Russian radar stations. No violations of the Russian state border were allowed, according to the newspaper, which cited information from the Russian Defense Ministry.
The newspaper also reported that two Russian fighter jets were scrambled during the week to prevent the violation of Russia’s airspace.
Also, Su-35S, Il-76MD-90A and Su-34 aircraft were delivered to the troops under the defense procurement plan, the infographics show.
Last week, Aerospace Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Andrei Yudin said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that Russian air defense quick reaction alert forces detected and intercepted over 1,300 foreign spy planes in 2020. According to Yudin, the Russian fighter aircraft from air defense quick reaction alert forces were scrambled over 170 times to intercept foreign planes near Russia’s borders.


tass--2020-12-03--People aged 29-64 account for most coronavirus cases, says chief sanitary doctor

MOSCOW , December 3./TASS/ .
People in the age group between 29 and 64 are more likely to catch coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ s chief sanitary doctor Anna Popova said on Thursday .
`` According to epidemiological research @ @ @ @ @ age , between 29 and 64 , catch it in most cases .
We see @ @ @ @ @ infections at workplaces , in the offices .
And then they bring it home and @ @ @ @ @ '' Anna Popova , who heads the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection @ @ @ @ @ in an interview with Nailya Asker-zade for Vesti news program on Rossiya-1 television .

MOSCOW, December 3./TASS/. People in the age group between 29 and 64 are more likely to catch coronavirus in Russia, Russia’s chief sanitary doctor Anna Popova said on Thursday.
"According to epidemiological research data, people of working age, between 29 and 64, catch it in most cases. We see a rather high rate of infections at workplaces, in the offices. And then they bring it home and it spreads at home," Anna Popova, who heads the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, said in an interview with Nailya Asker-zade for Vesti news program on Rossiya-1 television.


tass--2020-12-03--Coronavirus situation tense across Russia, though growth rate on decline, says watchdog

`` Of course , the situation is tense , it is obvious .
The growth rate is declining but the overall number of daily reported cases remains rather big , '' Anna Popova , head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing , said in an interview with Nailya Asker-zade for Vesti news program on Rossiya-1 television on Thursday .
According to her , the spread of the virus can be stopped only when all people will observe the necessary precautionary rules .
`` This is a new coronavirus , it has come in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it owns the place , since it was the first to get into the population exactly in its autumn-winter season , '' she added .
`` We are likely to have some of it in spring as well .
The spread will be stopped only when we all observe the simple precautionary and preventive measures , '' she summed up .
On March 11 , 2020 , the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest global statistics , over 64.5 million people have been infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been reported .
To date , 2,375,546 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 1,859,851 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 41,607 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

"Of course, the situation is tense, it is obvious. The growth rate is declining but the overall number of daily reported cases remains rather big," Anna Popova, head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, said in an interview with Nailya Asker-zade for Vesti news program on Rossiya-1 television on Thursday.
According to her, the spread of the virus can be stopped only when all people will observe the necessary precautionary rules. "This is a new coronavirus, it has come in its due season. It behaves as though it owns the place, since it was the first to get into the population exactly in its autumn-winter season," she added. "We are likely to have some of it in spring as well. The spread will be stopped only when we all observe the simple precautionary and preventive measures," she summed up.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest global statistics, over 64.5 million people have been infected worldwide and about 1.5 million deaths have been reported.
To date, 2,375,546 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,859,851 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 41,607 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-12-03--Armenian top diplomat calls on OSCE to force Turkey to pull out troops from Karabakh

YEREVAN , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Yerevan is calling on OSCE member states to put pressure on Turkey to @ @ @ @ @ foreign militants from South Caucasus , Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said during a session @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
`` We are calling on all OSCE member states to continue putting @ @ @ @ @ aim to pull out its armed personnel and the terrorist groups related to it from @ @ @ @ @ from South Caucasus .
So far , there are no signals regarding the pullout of @ @ @ @ @ zone .
On the contrary , there are verified reports of Baku ’ s plans @ @ @ @ @ terrorist deployment and relocate them to the occupied districts of Artsakh ( the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

YEREVAN, December 3. /TASS/. Yerevan is calling on OSCE member states to put pressure on Turkey to pull out its troops and foreign militants from South Caucasus, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said during a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council on Thursday.
"We are calling on all OSCE member states to continue putting pressure on Turkey with the aim to pull out its armed personnel and the terrorist groups related to it from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and from South Caucasus. So far, there are no signals regarding the pullout of foreign troops from the conflict zone. On the contrary, there are verified reports of Baku’s plans to expand the area of terrorist deployment and relocate them to the occupied districts of Artsakh (the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - TASS)," he said.


tass--2020-12-03--OPEC+ supports 0.5 mln bpd output growth since January, monthly meetings, sources say

MOSCOW , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
The OPEC+ ministers approved the decision to increase oil production from January 2021 @ @ @ @ @ the meetings will be held on a monthly basis , two OPEC sources told TASS @ @ @ @ @ increase of 0.5 mln bpd as supported .
The meetings will be held monthly to @ @ @ @ @ Starting from January , the increase will be 0.5 mln bpd , depending on market @ @ @ @ @ said .
The next OPEC + meeting will be held in early February , another @ @ @ @ @ in January , OPEC+ countries will cut production by 7.2 mln bpd , not 7.7 @ @ @ @ @ the end of this year .

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. The OPEC+ ministers approved the decision to increase oil production from January 2021 by 0.5 mln bpd, the meetings will be held on a monthly basis, two OPEC sources told TASS.
"Yes, an increase of 0.5 mln bpd as supported. The meetings will be held monthly to monitor the market situation. Starting from January, the increase will be 0.5 mln bpd, depending on market conditions," the sources said.
The next OPEC + meeting will be held in early February, another source added.
Thus, in January, OPEC+ countries will cut production by 7.2 mln bpd, not 7.7 million bpd, like before the end of this year.


tass--2020-12-03--Attempts to undermine election in Venezuela directed at destabilization, diplomat says

MOSCOW , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Calls to boycott the upcoming election to Venezuela ’ s National Assembly ( a unicameral parliament ) indicate that some forces are interested in maintaining instability in this Latin American country , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday .
`` The calls not to recognize or boycott the upcoming election cause regrets .
Let ’ s be honest , the election in Venezuela is a political reality , it makes no sense to ignore it .
Those who try to undermine a legitimate electoral process are interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Guaido project ’ , '' the diplomat said .
According to her , the Russian Federation proceeds from the fact that the election is the most effective and democratic way of settling the current contradictions in Venezuela .
She pointed out that Russia hopes that the newly elected parliament will become a site for a constructive dialogue on the future of this country .
`` I will reiterate that people of Venezuela have grown tired of political provocations , attempts of coup d ’ etat and firmly support the resolution of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , '' the spokeswoman added .
`` We urge all countries who are truly interested in the internal settling in Venezuela not to interfere with the exercise of right of the Venezuelans to elect their representatives to the National Assembly and independently determine paths of development of their country , '' she concluded .
The election to the Venezuelan National Assembly will take place on December 6 .
Russia ’ s delegation of observers will include representatives of the State Duma parliamentary fractions .

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. Calls to boycott the upcoming election to Venezuela’s National Assembly (a unicameral parliament) indicate that some forces are interested in maintaining instability in this Latin American country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.
"The calls not to recognize or boycott the upcoming election cause regrets. Let’s be honest, the election in Venezuela is a political reality, it makes no sense to ignore it. Those who try to undermine a legitimate electoral process are interested in maintaining instability and conserving the failed ‘Guaido project’," the diplomat said.
According to her, the Russian Federation proceeds from the fact that the election is the most effective and democratic way of settling the current contradictions in Venezuela. She pointed out that Russia hopes that the newly elected parliament will become a site for a constructive dialogue on the future of this country. "I will reiterate that people of Venezuela have grown tired of political provocations, attempts of coup d’etat and firmly support the resolution of the crisis by means of the constitutional electoral process," the spokeswoman added.
"We urge all countries who are truly interested in the internal settling in Venezuela not to interfere with the exercise of right of the Venezuelans to elect their representatives to the National Assembly and independently determine paths of development of their country," she concluded.
The election to the Venezuelan National Assembly will take place on December 6. Russia’s delegation of observers will include representatives of the State Duma parliamentary fractions.


tass--2020-12-03--Serbia reports 7,802 cases of COVID-19 in past 24 hours

BELGRADE , December 3 .
/TASS/ .
Serbia recorded 7,802 cases of COVID-19 , a disease caused by the novel coronavirus , in the past 24 hours , the country ’ s Health Ministry said on Thursday .
The ministry said that the total number of coronavirus cases had reached 199,158 .
According to the ministry , 61 patients died from the complications caused by COVID-19 in the past 24 hours , pushing the total death toll to 1,765 .
In the past 24 hours , 22,243 people have been tested for novel coronavirus .
As many as 288 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A total of 1,844,000 tests were carried out since the coronavirus outbreak .
According to health professionals , the clinical picture of the latest wave ’ s patients is far worse , due to a high percentage of pneumonia cases and severe complications .
In the wake of the resurgence in cases , the Serbian government restricted operation of entertainment facilities , shopping malls and stores .
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the cabinet had been considering a curfew , but decided not to impose this extreme measure yet .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five people both indoors and outdoors .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization ( WHO ) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .

BELGRADE, December 3. /TASS/. Serbia recorded 7,802 cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, the country’s Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said that the total number of coronavirus cases had reached 199,158. According to the ministry, 61 patients died from the complications caused by COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 1,765. In the past 24 hours, 22,243 people have been tested for novel coronavirus. As many as 288 patients are on ventilators in intensive care units.
A total of 1,844,000 tests were carried out since the coronavirus outbreak. According to health professionals, the clinical picture of the latest wave’s patients is far worse, due to a high percentage of pneumonia cases and severe complications.
In the wake of the resurgence in cases, the Serbian government restricted operation of entertainment facilities, shopping malls and stores. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the cabinet had been considering a curfew, but decided not to impose this extreme measure yet.
Earlier, Serbia banned gatherings of more than five people both indoors and outdoors.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.