tass--2020-08-17--Media: Russian diplomat suggests Hainan should strengthen cooperation with Russia

HAIKOU , August 17 .
/TASS/ .
Attache of the Russian Consulate General in Guangzhou ( South China ) Ilya Chubarov during an interview with local media praised the development potential of Hainan 's free trade port and advised using favorable factors to boost cooperation with Russia , reported the Sanya Daily .
`` In 2019 , 290,000 Russian tourists visited Hainan .
I am sure that in the future the number of tourists from Russia will increase here , '' the publication quotes the Russian diplomat as saying .
`` During my current visit to Hainan , I realized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the city of Sanya and Hainan will not be limited to tourism .
Hainan 's free trade port creates unprecedented opportunities for development . ''
Chubarov noted that amid the ongoing changes , Hainan has new chances to increase cooperation with Russia both in the field of medicine , investments , and in the trade and humanitarian sphere .
He clarified that during his last trip to the island , he visited Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Zone , the Ecological Innovation Development Park , and the local science city of Yazhouwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's investment attractiveness and development potential , '' added the diplomat .
Earlier , the provincial administration announced that more than 70 diplomatic officials from 37 countries visited Hainan to discuss prospects for intensifying international cooperation .
During the trip , a `` strategic symposium on important economic issues '' was held .
According to the head of the international relations department of the regional party committee Wang Sheng , Hainan will continue to `` expand the circle of foreign friends '' and will attract more and more global resources for economic development @

HAIKOU, August 17. /TASS/. Attache of the Russian Consulate General in Guangzhou (South China) Ilya Chubarov during an interview with local media praised the development potential of Hainan's free trade port and advised using favorable factors to boost cooperation with Russia, reported the Sanya Daily.
"In 2019, 290,000 Russian tourists visited Hainan. I am sure that in the future the number of tourists from Russia will increase here," the publication quotes the Russian diplomat as saying. "During my current visit to Hainan, I realized that the cooperation of Russia's regions with the city of Sanya and Hainan will not be limited to tourism. Hainan's free trade port creates unprecedented opportunities for development."
Chubarov noted that amid the ongoing changes, Hainan has new chances to increase cooperation with Russia both in the field of medicine, investments, and in the trade and humanitarian sphere. He clarified that during his last trip to the island, he visited Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Zone, the Ecological Innovation Development Park, and the local science city of Yazhouwan. "All this testifies to Hainan's investment attractiveness and development potential," added the diplomat.
Earlier, the provincial administration announced that more than 70 diplomatic officials from 37 countries visited Hainan to discuss prospects for intensifying international cooperation. During the trip, a "strategic symposium on important economic issues" was held.
According to the head of the international relations department of the regional party committee Wang Sheng, Hainan will continue to "expand the circle of foreign friends" and will attract more and more global resources for economic development.


tass--2020-08-17--Hainan to take part in digital yuan testing

HAIKOU , Aigust 17 .
/TASS/ .
Hainan was among the regions selected by the Chinese central government for digital yuan testing , according to a message of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce .
In April 2020 , experimental use of digital currency began in the cities of Shenzhen , Chengdu , Suzhou and Xiongan Special Economic Zone near Beijing .
According to the ministry , at the first stage , the digital yuan testing zone will be expanded to the so-called metropolitan region ( Beijing and Tianjin cities , as well as Hebei province ) , the Yangtze River @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its surroundings ) , the Big Bay region ( Guangdong province , as well as special administrative regions of China - Hong Kong and Macau ) , as well as other provinces in the central and western part of the country .
During the second phase of `` more comprehensive testing '' , the currency will be introduced in Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai and Chongqing , as well as in Hainan Province .
In addition , the digital yuan will be tested in 23 more cities and municipalities .
Thus , Hainan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in addition to the cities of central subordination , which will be allowed to test this technology .
In June the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Сhinese State Council published the “ General Program for the Establishment of a Free Port on Hainan , ” according to which the island ’ s administration intends to create an effective system to fulfill a number of important social and economic goals by 2025 , and within 10 years to decisively enhance the innovative mechanisms for the region 's development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intends to create an `` international center for tourism and consumption '' on Hainan .
In order to do so , the `` Eastern Hawaii '' with their unique natural landscapes , thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels , which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline .
The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world .

HAIKOU, Aigust 17. /TASS/. Hainan was among the regions selected by the Chinese central government for digital yuan testing, according to a message of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
In April 2020, experimental use of digital currency began in the cities of Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou and Xiongan Special Economic Zone near Beijing. According to the ministry, at the first stage, the digital yuan testing zone will be expanded to the so-called metropolitan region (Beijing and Tianjin cities, as well as Hebei province), the Yangtze River Delta in the east (Shanghai and its surroundings), the Big Bay region (Guangdong province, as well as special administrative regions of China - Hong Kong and Macau), as well as other provinces in the central and western part of the country.
During the second phase of "more comprehensive testing", the currency will be introduced in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing, as well as in Hainan Province. In addition, the digital yuan will be tested in 23 more cities and municipalities. Thus, Hainan will become the only China's province, in addition to the cities of central subordination, which will be allowed to test this technology.
In June the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Сhinese State Council published the “General Program for the Establishment of a Free Port on Hainan,” according to which the island’s administration intends to create an effective system to fulfill a number of important social and economic goals by 2025, and within 10 years to decisively enhance the innovative mechanisms for the region's development.
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.


tass--2020-08-17--Hainan holds ceremony for signing investment agreements worth $2 bln

HAIKOU , August 17 .
/TASS/ .
The Hainan authorities held a ceremony to sign a package of investment agreements for the implementation of 59 big projects .
According to the regional administration , the total amount of contracts exceeded 14.2 billion yuan ( $ 2 billion at the current exchange rate ) .
`` The parties agreed to cooperate in tourism , modern services , in the field of high technologies , '' reads a statement published on the website of the Hainan government on WeChat .
`` Twelve of these projects will be carried out with the participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarified that the collective signing was attended by representatives of the International Chinese Investment Corporation for Property Management ( CITIC ) , such large companies as China Merchants , Alibaba , Huawei , the German TUI Group and Japan 's Itochu .
The local administration holds a signing ceremony of dozens of investment agreements on important projects related to the development of a regional free trade port from time to time in Haikou .
A unique platform , the first of this kind in China , has been created in the province , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an opportunity to set up an office , subsidiary structure , or organize production from scratch on preferential terms .
Due to this , modern enterprises operating in such industries as the production of alternative energy sources and new materials , as well as in the field of civil aviation , medicine and finance , have been set up on the Island of Hainan .

HAIKOU, August 17. /TASS/. The Hainan authorities held a ceremony to sign a package of investment agreements for the implementation of 59 big projects. According to the regional administration, the total amount of contracts exceeded 14.2 billion yuan ($ 2 billion at the current exchange rate).
"The parties agreed to cooperate in tourism, modern services, in the field of high technologies," reads a statement published on the website of the Hainan government on WeChat. "Twelve of these projects will be carried out with the participation of foreign capital."
It is clarified that the collective signing was attended by representatives of the International Chinese Investment Corporation for Property Management (CITIC), such large companies as China Merchants, Alibaba, Huawei, the German TUI Group and Japan's Itochu.
The local administration holds a signing ceremony of dozens of investment agreements on important projects related to the development of a regional free trade port from time to time in Haikou. A unique platform, the first of this kind in China, has been created in the province, thanks to which foreign businessmen and companies have an opportunity to set up an office, subsidiary structure, or organize production from scratch on preferential terms. Due to this, modern enterprises operating in such industries as the production of alternative energy sources and new materials, as well as in the field of civil aviation, medicine and finance, have been set up on the Island of Hainan.


tass--2020-08-18--Unidentified armed men arrest ministers, politicians in Mali — TV

PRETORIA , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
A number of ministers of Mali government , including ministers of foreign affairs and finance , as well as the speaker of the Parliament , have been apprehended by unknown armed people , according to a report by Al Jazeera .
`` The soldiers conduct arrests , '' the report runs .
`` Both the military and the civilians are being arrested . ''
Earlier , Journal du Mali reported that National Assembly President Moussa Timbine , as well as Minister of Economy and Finance Abdoulaye Daffe had been abducted by unknown armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital city of Bamako .
According to Reuters , military units at the Kati base 20 kilometers away from Bamako have rebelled .
According to a number of reports , the rebelled units , frustrated by low payments , move towards the capital .
Mali ’ s opposition , the June 5 Movement - Rally of Patriotic Forces ( M5-RFP ) , called to begin widespread protests since Tuesday .
One of its demands is immediate resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita .
The opposition plans a major rally in Bamako this Friday @

PRETORIA, August 18. /TASS/. A number of ministers of Mali government, including ministers of foreign affairs and finance, as well as the speaker of the Parliament, have been apprehended by unknown armed people, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
"The soldiers conduct arrests," the report runs. "Both the military and the civilians are being arrested."
Earlier, Journal du Mali reported that National Assembly President Moussa Timbine, as well as Minister of Economy and Finance Abdoulaye Daffe had been abducted by unknown armed people.
Gunshots are heard in the capital city of Bamako. According to Reuters, military units at the Kati base 20 kilometers away from Bamako have rebelled. According to a number of reports, the rebelled units, frustrated by low payments, move towards the capital.
Mali’s opposition, the June 5 Movement - Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), called to begin widespread protests since Tuesday. One of its demands is immediate resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The opposition plans a major rally in Bamako this Friday.


tass--2020-08-18--Russia to forward up to 2 million euro annually to IAEA fund in 2021-2023

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Russian government has approved state corporation Rosatom ’ s voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) ’ s Technical Cooperation Fund of up to 2 million euro annually , an August 14 government decree , published on Russia ’ s official legal information website , reads .
Presence of radioisotopes in European air poses no threat to health , environment — IAEA Rosatom was also tasked with coordination of technical cooperation with the IAEA and with overseeing the use of the said voluntary contributions .
Another government decree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approves Rosatom ’ s offer to fund Russia ’ s participation in the IAEA Safeguards Support Program between 2021 and 2023 , which amounts to 20 million rubles ( 229,464 euro ) annually .
Rosatom ’ s offer was negotiated with the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Finance , the document says .
According to earlier reports , the Russian government accepted Rosatom ’ s offer to allocate funding from the federal budget in 2020-2023 for the implementation of projects within the IAEA technical cooperation program .
Initially , it was planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 610,000 euro annually to Rosatom for the purpose .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. The Russian government has approved state corporation Rosatom’s voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Technical Cooperation Fund of up to 2 million euro annually, an August 14 government decree, published on Russia’s official legal information website, reads.
Rosatom was also tasked with coordination of technical cooperation with the IAEA and with overseeing the use of the said voluntary contributions.
Another government decree, also as of August 14, approves Rosatom’s offer to fund Russia’s participation in the IAEA Safeguards Support Program between 2021 and 2023, which amounts to 20 million rubles (229,464 euro) annually.
Rosatom’s offer was negotiated with the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Finance, the document says.
According to earlier reports, the Russian government accepted Rosatom’s offer to allocate funding from the federal budget in 2020-2023 for the implementation of projects within the IAEA technical cooperation program. Initially, it was planned that the government would allocate up to 610,000 euro annually to Rosatom for the purpose.


tass--2020-08-18--Google remains tight-lipped after blocking YouTube channels of Russian news outlets

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Head of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeev has sent a letter to the American office of Google corporation asking to explain the reasons for blocking the YouTube channels of Russian news outlets , the Council ’ s press service reported on Tuesday .
Google ’ s Russian office earlier had declined to comment on the reasons for blocking the YouTube channels of Russian media outlets at the Council ’ s request .
`` Valery Fadeev today sent a letter to the American office of Google corporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the YouTube channels of Russian news outlets .
The address of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights is related to complaints from the owners of the channels blocked which note the unlawful actions of the YouTube administrators , '' the statement on the Council ’ s site said .
It is noted that the general public sees signs of censorship in the unaccountable shutdown of several channels , as well as of attempts to influence the freedom of speech and the freedom of opinion .
In all , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years about 200 Russian-language channels were blacklisted by the administration of the video hosting site .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Head of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeev has sent a letter to the American office of Google corporation asking to explain the reasons for blocking the YouTube channels of Russian news outlets, the Council’s press service reported on Tuesday.
Google’s Russian office earlier had declined to comment on the reasons for blocking the YouTube channels of Russian media outlets at the Council’s request.
"Valery Fadeev today sent a letter to the American office of Google corporation asking to explain the reasons for blocking the YouTube channels of Russian news outlets. The address of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights is related to complaints from the owners of the channels blocked which note the unlawful actions of the YouTube administrators," the statement on the Council’s site said.
It is noted that the general public sees signs of censorship in the unaccountable shutdown of several channels, as well as of attempts to influence the freedom of speech and the freedom of opinion. In all, according to the open sources, in the recent years about 200 Russian-language channels were blacklisted by the administration of the video hosting site.


tass--2020-08-18--Russia to place 7th ground station of Glonass satellite navigation system in Brazil

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Precision Instrument-Making Systems research and production corporation ( part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos ) has signed a contract to place a non-request measuring station of the SM-Glonass satellite navigation system in the municipality of Colorado do Oeste ( the state of Rondonia in Brazil ) , Roscosmos reported on Tuesday .
`` This is the seventh non-request measuring station in the structure of the foreign segment of the Glonass measuring stations ’ network being set up by the Precision Instrument-Making Systems as part of the Signal experimental design work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Russian company signed the corresponding contract with the Federal Institute of Education , Science and Technology of Rondonia and the Research Support and Development Fund .
The measuring station of the SM-Glonass system is designed to continuously monitor the signals of the Glonass , GPS , Galileo , Compass and QZSS navigation systems .
The station is also required for controlling the reliability parameters of navigation signals of global navigation satellite systems .
Roscosmos representative in Brazil Gennady Sayenko earlier told TASS that the fifth non-request measuring station of the Glonass satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation in Brazil until the end of this year .
The station will be the first facility in the country ’ s north .
As Sayenko also said , two stations of this type were installed in Recife ( the capital of Brazil ’ s northeastern state of Pernambuco ) and Santa Maria ( in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul ) .
Two stations of different types are operating in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro .
In July , the Precision Instrument-Making Systems research and production corporation signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measuring station of the SM-Glonass satellite navigation system in the city of Belem ( the state of Para in Brazil ) .
The non-request measuring stations developed by the Precision Instrument-Making Systems are designed to increase the precision and improve the performance of the Glonass system .
As Sayenko specified , apart from fulfilling their main task , they can also be used by Brazilian scientists for their own research .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. The Precision Instrument-Making Systems research and production corporation (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) has signed a contract to place a non-request measuring station of the SM-Glonass satellite navigation system in the municipality of Colorado do Oeste (the state of Rondonia in Brazil), Roscosmos reported on Tuesday.
"This is the seventh non-request measuring station in the structure of the foreign segment of the Glonass measuring stations’ network being set up by the Precision Instrument-Making Systems as part of the Signal experimental design work," Roscosmos said in a statement.
The Russian company signed the corresponding contract with the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondonia and the Research Support and Development Fund.
The measuring station of the SM-Glonass system is designed to continuously monitor the signals of the Glonass, GPS, Galileo, Compass and QZSS navigation systems. The station is also required for controlling the reliability parameters of navigation signals of global navigation satellite systems.
Roscosmos representative in Brazil Gennady Sayenko earlier told TASS that the fifth non-request measuring station of the Glonass satellite navigation system was due to begin its operation in Brazil until the end of this year. The station will be the first facility in the country’s north.
As Sayenko also said, two stations of this type were installed in Recife (the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco) and Santa Maria (in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul). Two stations of different types are operating in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
In July, the Precision Instrument-Making Systems research and production corporation signed a contract for placing the sixth non-request measuring station of the SM-Glonass satellite navigation system in the city of Belem (the state of Para in Brazil).
The non-request measuring stations developed by the Precision Instrument-Making Systems are designed to increase the precision and improve the performance of the Glonass system. As Sayenko specified, apart from fulfilling their main task, they can also be used by Brazilian scientists for their own research.


tass--2020-08-18--Russia, US complete consultations on strategic stability in Vienna

VIENNA , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
A new round of Russian-US consultations on strategic stability and arms control came to an end in Vienna , Russia ’ s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter on Tuesday .
`` Russia-US consultations on strategic stability in Vienna are over .
Preliminary comments on the outcome may follow very soon , '' the Russian envoy said .
The Russian-US consultations on strategic stability were held at the Niederoesterreich Palace in Vienna from August 17 .
Russia- US consultations on strategic stability in Vienna are over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very soon .
pic.twitter.com/3t7bTN4PgG The delegations from both countries headed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea held their second meeting this year in the Austrian capital .
The first round of their consultations was held in Vienna on June 22 .
Following the results of the June talks , the sides agreed on setting up several joint working groups on strategic stability .
In late July , Russia and the United States held additional consultations in the format of sessions of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministries of both countries : the sides set up working groups on space security , doctrines and potentials as well as transparency and verification .

VIENNA, August 18. /TASS/. A new round of Russian-US consultations on strategic stability and arms control came to an end in Vienna, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
"Russia-US consultations on strategic stability in Vienna are over. Preliminary comments on the outcome may follow very soon," the Russian envoy said.
The Russian-US consultations on strategic stability were held at the Niederoesterreich Palace in Vienna from August 17.
Russia- US consultations on strategic stability in Vienna are over. Preliminary comments on the outcome may follow very soon. pic.twitter.com/3t7bTN4PgG
The delegations from both countries headed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea held their second meeting this year in the Austrian capital.
The first round of their consultations was held in Vienna on June 22. Following the results of the June talks, the sides agreed on setting up several joint working groups on strategic stability.
In late July, Russia and the United States held additional consultations in the format of sessions of three working groups representing the foreign and defense ministries of both countries: the sides set up working groups on space security, doctrines and potentials as well as transparency and verification.


tass--2020-08-18--Ombudswoman asks US attorney-general to ease jailed Russian convict’s penalty

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia 's Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova has asked US Attorney General William Barr to back a request by Bogdana Osipova , a jailed Russian woman in the US , to downgrade her punishment to one not involving the deprivation of her freedom .
A copy of Moskalkova ’ s letter was obtained by TASS .
`` Guided by the principles of humanism and the value of human life I ask you , esteemed Mr. Barr , to look into the possibility of supporting Bogdana Osipova ’ s request for using a punishment that does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the message runs .
Moskalkova recalls that the coronavirus situation in the United States remains rather complicated and the infection has had a certain impact on penitentiaries .
`` The prison where Osipova is kept at the moment was identified by you as a priority penitentiary where the number of convicts should be reduced , '' Moskalkova said .
In her message she mentions Osipova ’ s health problems and a number of chronic diseases that will endanger her life if she happens to contract the novel coronavirus .
In 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own children and taking them out of the United States as well as of extortion .
She was sentenced to about six years in jail and is serving the term at the federal prison in Danbury , Connecticut .
In the middle of July , Osipova asked the court to allow her to stay under house arrest in view of the pandemic and health problems .
Osipova said that currently she had neither a valid US passport nor a Russian one .
Also , the request stressed that she had no connections with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape .
As follows from the message , she is to stay in prison for about another three years .
Many COVID-19 cases have been exposed at the federal prison in Danbury .
At the end of July , there were reports that the US authorities asked the court to reject Osipova ’ s request for serving the term under house arrest .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Russia's Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova has asked US Attorney General William Barr to back a request by Bogdana Osipova, a jailed Russian woman in the US, to downgrade her punishment to one not involving the deprivation of her freedom. A copy of Moskalkova’s letter was obtained by TASS.
"Guided by the principles of humanism and the value of human life I ask you, esteemed Mr. Barr, to look into the possibility of supporting Bogdana Osipova’s request for using a punishment that does not involve the deprivation of freedom," the message runs.
Moskalkova recalls that the coronavirus situation in the United States remains rather complicated and the infection has had a certain impact on penitentiaries.
"The prison where Osipova is kept at the moment was identified by you as a priority penitentiary where the number of convicts should be reduced," Moskalkova said. In her message she mentions Osipova’s health problems and a number of chronic diseases that will endanger her life if she happens to contract the novel coronavirus.
In 2019, Osipova was found guilty of abducting her own children and taking them out of the United States as well as of extortion. She was sentenced to about six years in jail and is serving the term at the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut.
In the middle of July, Osipova asked the court to allow her to stay under house arrest in view of the pandemic and health problems. Osipova said that currently she had neither a valid US passport nor a Russian one. Also, the request stressed that she had no connections with organized crime and made no attempts to escape. As follows from the message, she is to stay in prison for about another three years.
Many COVID-19 cases have been exposed at the federal prison in Danbury. At the end of July, there were reports that the US authorities asked the court to reject Osipova’s request for serving the term under house arrest.


tass--2020-08-18--Hezbollah leaders not complicit in Rafik Hariri murder — tribunal

THE HAGUE , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has not found evidence that the leadership @ @ @ @ @ the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , judge David Re said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The trial chamber is of the view that Syria and Hezbollah may have @ @ @ @ @ Hariri and his political allies , however there is no evidence that the Hezbollah leadership @ @ @ @ @ Hariri ’ s murder and there is no direct evidence of Syrian involvement , '' @ @ @ @ @ also arrived at the conclusion that the terror attack was committed by a suicide bomber @ @ @ @ @ be determined .

THE HAGUE, August 18. /TASS/. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has not found evidence that the leadership of Hezbollah was involved in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, judge David Re said Tuesday when reading out the decision.
"The trial chamber is of the view that Syria and Hezbollah may have had motives to eliminate Mr. Hariri and his political allies, however there is no evidence that the Hezbollah leadership had any involvement in Mr. Hariri’s murder and there is no direct evidence of Syrian involvement," he said.
The court also arrived at the conclusion that the terror attack was committed by a suicide bomber, whose identity could not be determined.


tass--2020-08-18--Demonstrators demand clear assessment of situation in Belarus

MINSK , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Several dozen people have gathered in front of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry , @ @ @ @ @ of the situation in the country be made , a TASS correspondent reported from the @ @ @ @ @ of the demonstrators , people want `` senior Foreign Ministry officials to provide a clear @ @ @ @ @ the election . ''
They are addressing top diplomat Vladimir Makei , chanting : `` @ @ @ @ @ Earlier reports said that some of the Foreign Ministry employees had joined strikes going on @ @ @ @ @ reports haven ’ t been confirmed yet .
There are no ministry employees among the @ @ @ @ @ time , several dozen staff members of the National Arts Museum are protesting against violence @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Ministry ’ s building .

MINSK, August 18. /TASS/. Several dozen people have gathered in front of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, demanding that a clear assessment of the situation in the country be made, a TASS correspondent reported from the scene.
According to one of the demonstrators, people want "senior Foreign Ministry officials to provide a clear assessment of what happened after the election." They are addressing top diplomat Vladimir Makei, chanting: "Makei Be Brave."
Earlier reports said that some of the Foreign Ministry employees had joined strikes going on in the country but the reports haven’t been confirmed yet. There are no ministry employees among the demonstrators. At the same time, several dozen staff members of the National Arts Museum are protesting against violence across the road from the Foreign Ministry’s building.


tass--2020-08-18--Every sixth company in Russia can keep remote working after pandemic — poll

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
About 17 % of Russian companies can fully or partially maintain remote working mode after the pandemic , according to a survey the Russian Association for Electronic Communications ( RAEC ) jointly conducted with the Higher School of Economics and Microsoft and made available to TASS .
The survey reveals that only 2 % of companies find it possible to fully switch to remote work after the pandemic .
Meanwhile every sixth company noted that part of their employees can continue to work `` from home . ''
During the pandemic , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partially switched to remote work .
Before spring 2020 , less than 1 % of them worked remotely .
Another 8 % of enterprises and companies did not switch to remote work , but were forced to completely change their business processes .
Representatives of Russian enterprises and companies expect that the events of the spring of 2020 will have a long-term impact on business .
`` 81 % of respondents are confident that the events of the spring of 2020 will have an impact on business processes and management of companies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The survey respondents expect most significant changes in their companies to occur in external communications .
For example , every fifth company is confident that in the future some meetings and events will be held online .
`` The new conditions require that businesses should adapt new tools .
According to the survey , in the spring of 2020 , 25 % of Russian enterprises and companies began using tools for video conferencing , 20 % began to use tools for online communications ( instant messengers , corporate chats ) and 15 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment , '' RAEC analysts note .
In the future , companies expect high demand for such technologies as business process automation systems ( 29 % ) , cloud technologies ( 25 % ) and voice technologies ( 16 % ) .
Digital tools include e-mail ( 53 % ) , tools for online communication ( 44 % ) and video conferencing ( 36 % ) and electronic document management systems ( 29 % ) .
The survey was conducted from May 25 to June 3 , 2020 among employees of Russian enterprises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy ( IT , retail , manufacturing , education , finance , banking , insurance , etc . )
aged from 20 to 60 , in leadership positions , as well as qualified specialists without leadership functions .
In total 460 questionnaires were filled .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. About 17% of Russian companies can fully or partially maintain remote working mode after the pandemic, according to a survey the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC) jointly conducted with the Higher School of Economics and Microsoft and made available to TASS.
The survey reveals that only 2% of companies find it possible to fully switch to remote work after the pandemic. Meanwhile every sixth company noted that part of their employees can continue to work "from home."
During the pandemic, more than half of Russian companies fully or partially switched to remote work. Before spring 2020, less than 1% of them worked remotely. Another 8% of enterprises and companies did not switch to remote work, but were forced to completely change their business processes.
Representatives of Russian enterprises and companies expect that the events of the spring of 2020 will have a long-term impact on business.
"81% of respondents are confident that the events of the spring of 2020 will have an impact on business processes and management of companies in the future," experts say.
The survey respondents expect most significant changes in their companies to occur in external communications. For example, every fifth company is confident that in the future some meetings and events will be held online.
"The new conditions require that businesses should adapt new tools. According to the survey, in the spring of 2020, 25% of Russian enterprises and companies began using tools for video conferencing, 20% began to use tools for online communications (instant messengers, corporate chats) and 15% have implemented tools for remote monitoring of equipment," RAEC analysts note.
In the future, companies expect high demand for such technologies as business process automation systems (29%), cloud technologies (25%) and voice technologies (16%). Digital tools include e-mail (53%), tools for online communication (44%) and video conferencing (36%) and electronic document management systems (29%).
The survey was conducted from May 25 to June 3, 2020 among employees of Russian enterprises and companies representing various sectors of the economy (IT, retail, manufacturing, education, finance, banking, insurance, etc.) aged from 20 to 60, in leadership positions, as well as qualified specialists without leadership functions. In total 460 questionnaires were filled.


tass--2020-08-18--Russian Northern Fleet lands amphibious assault force onto Arctic coast in drills

MURMANSK , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Northern Fleet ’ s marines held tactical drills on the Taimyr Peninsula for landing an amphibious assault force onto an unequipped shore to defend a vital industrial facility in the Arctic , the Fleet ’ s press office reported on Tuesday .
`` Today tactical drills were held on the Taimyr Peninsula to practice combat operations in landing an amphibious assault force onto an unequipped shore of the Yenisei River near Dudinka .
The drills involved the crews of ships , the personnel and hardware of the army corps , a Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helicopter group that make part of the Northern Fleet ’ s Arctic grouping , '' the press office said in a statement .
Under the drills ’ scenario , the Northern Fleet ’ s taskforce was assigned the task of recapturing a bridgehead seized by notional terrorists and landing the amphibious assault force ’ s military hardware for further developing the offensive deep into the peninsula ’ s territory for defending a vital industrial facility in the Arctic .
The training battle started with an air strike on the notional terrorists ’ positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened against sheltered coastal positions by the batteries of the large anti-submarine warfare ship Severomorsk and the large amphibious assault ships Kondopoga and Alexander Otrakovsky within the Arctic grouping that left Severomorsk in the Murmansk Region for its deployment on August 5 , the press office said .
Ka-27 helicopters delivered marine infantry personnel to the coast to protect a group of field engineers who had reached the coast by fast-speed boats to make breaches in minefields and prepare the place for landing military hardware .
As soon as the positions were ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coastline and started landing amphibious assault hardware .
Overall , 20 combat vehicles rolled out of the tween-decks : armored personnel carriers , snow and swamp-going vehicles and self-propelled artillery guns , the press office said , without specifying the size of the participating personnel .
According to the command ’ s preliminary assessments , the entire personnel involved in landing the amphibious assault force demonstrated high combat skills and practiced the tactic of joint operations in conducting a battle , seizing and holding a coastal bridgehead in a qualitative way , the @ @ @ @

MURMANSK, August 18. /TASS/. The Northern Fleet’s marines held tactical drills on the Taimyr Peninsula for landing an amphibious assault force onto an unequipped shore to defend a vital industrial facility in the Arctic, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"Today tactical drills were held on the Taimyr Peninsula to practice combat operations in landing an amphibious assault force onto an unequipped shore of the Yenisei River near Dudinka. The drills involved the crews of ships, the personnel and hardware of the army corps, a Northern Fleet marine infantry brigade and also a helicopter group that make part of the Northern Fleet’s Arctic grouping," the press office said in a statement.
Under the drills’ scenario, the Northern Fleet’s taskforce was assigned the task of recapturing a bridgehead seized by notional terrorists and landing the amphibious assault force’s military hardware for further developing the offensive deep into the peninsula’s territory for defending a vital industrial facility in the Arctic.
The training battle started with an air strike on the notional terrorists’ positions. This was followed by the fire opened against sheltered coastal positions by the batteries of the large anti-submarine warfare ship Severomorsk and the large amphibious assault ships Kondopoga and Alexander Otrakovsky within the Arctic grouping that left Severomorsk in the Murmansk Region for its deployment on August 5, the press office said.
Ka-27 helicopters delivered marine infantry personnel to the coast to protect a group of field engineers who had reached the coast by fast-speed boats to make breaches in minefields and prepare the place for landing military hardware. As soon as the positions were ready, the ships sailed close to the coastline and started landing amphibious assault hardware.
Overall, 20 combat vehicles rolled out of the tween-decks: armored personnel carriers, snow and swamp-going vehicles and self-propelled artillery guns, the press office said, without specifying the size of the participating personnel.
According to the command’s preliminary assessments, the entire personnel involved in landing the amphibious assault force demonstrated high combat skills and practiced the tactic of joint operations in conducting a battle, seizing and holding a coastal bridgehead in a qualitative way, the press office said.


tass--2020-08-18--Swindlers cash in on quarantines, COVID vaccine scam, says Central Bank

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Central Bank has recorded several coronavirus-inspired fraud schemes , offering sham investments into production of a coronavirus vaccine and protective aids and precious metals , Valeriy Lyakh , director of the Bank of Russia ’ s Department for Countering Misconduct , told reporters on Tuesday .
`` There have been several schemes in the midst of the quarantine , namely investment pitches into the production of face masks and gloves or procurements of masks and gloves in foreign states for resale here .
There have also been several offers related to pouring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must say that this didn ’ t happen yesterday , it was at the very beginning of the lockdown .
Certainly , these were low-profile cases , more like ‘ probing ’ the market to a greater extent .
These were cross-border cases , not merely for potential Russian clients , but [ they ] also targeted CIS and other states , '' the official said .
The regulator also ferreted out schemes where swindlers sought to benefit from the high volatility on financial markets , Lyakh noted .
`` There were several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an asset that demonstrated high volatility amid growth , rather than a downward trend , '' he added .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. The Central Bank has recorded several coronavirus-inspired fraud schemes, offering sham investments into production of a coronavirus vaccine and protective aids and precious metals, Valeriy Lyakh, director of the Bank of Russia’s Department for Countering Misconduct, told reporters on Tuesday.
"There have been several schemes in the midst of the quarantine, namely investment pitches into the production of face masks and gloves or procurements of masks and gloves in foreign states for resale here. There have also been several offers related to pouring money into vaccine development. And I must say that this didn’t happen yesterday, it was at the very beginning of the lockdown. Certainly, these were low-profile cases, more like ‘probing’ the market to a greater extent. These were cross-border cases, not merely for potential Russian clients, but [they] also targeted CIS and other states," the official said.
The regulator also ferreted out schemes where swindlers sought to benefit from the high volatility on financial markets, Lyakh noted.
"There were several projects offering investments into precious metals, an asset that demonstrated high volatility amid growth, rather than a downward trend," he added.


tass--2020-08-18--Putin tells Merkel foreign interference in Belarus’ affairs is unacceptable

Lukashenko : Re-election out of question , power to be delegated only through constitution MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Belarus with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone conversation initiated by Berlin , the Kremlin press service said in a statement on Tuesday .
`` The parties thoroughly discussed the situation in Belarus following the presidential election , '' the statement reads .
`` Russia pointed out that foreign attempts to interfere in the country ’ s domestic affairs were unacceptable and could further escalate tensions , '' the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed that the situation would improve as soon as possible , '' the statement runs .
The German chancellor , in her turn , stressed that the Belarusian authorities must give up the use of force against peaceful demonstrators , the German Cabinet of Ministers ’ Spokesman Steffen Seibert informed .
`` The chancellor said the Belarusian government must refrain from the use of force against peaceful demonstrators , immediately release political prisoners and enter into a national dialogue with the opposition and society to overcome the crisis . ''
Belarus has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election returns .
During the first days there were clashes with the police .
According to the Interior Ministry , more than 6,000 were detained .
Several dozen police and demonstrators were injured .
According to the Central Election Commission , Alexander Lukashenko emerged the winner with 80.1 % of the votes .
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , described as his main rival , received 10.12 % .

Lukashenko: Re-election out of question, power to be delegated only through constitution
MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Belarus with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone conversation initiated by Berlin, the Kremlin press service said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The parties thoroughly discussed the situation in Belarus following the presidential election," the statement reads. "Russia pointed out that foreign attempts to interfere in the country’s domestic affairs were unacceptable and could further escalate tensions," the Kremlin press service added.
"Hope was expressed that the situation would improve as soon as possible," the statement runs.
The German chancellor, in her turn, stressed that the Belarusian authorities must give up the use of force against peaceful demonstrators, the German Cabinet of Ministers’ Spokesman Steffen Seibert informed. "The chancellor said the Belarusian government must refrain from the use of force against peaceful demonstrators, immediately release political prisoners and enter into a national dialogue with the opposition and society to overcome the crisis."
Belarus has seen mass protests following the announcement of the election returns. During the first days there were clashes with the police. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 6,000 were detained. Several dozen police and demonstrators were injured. According to the Central Election Commission, Alexander Lukashenko emerged the winner with 80.1% of the votes. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, described as his main rival, received 10.12%.


tass--2020-08-18--Belarusian opposition plans to complete formation of coordination council on Tuesday

`` We intend to complete the formation process today , the council will consist of 70 people .
We have received hundreds of applications and already announced some names .
There will also be other influential people in the council , '' she said .
Kovalkova declined to comment on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s statement that he had suggested that ballots be recounted .
According to her , the opposition plans to build dialogue with the country ’ s authorities to make sure that the will of the majority of the people is respected .
`` We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the Coordination Council , '' she noted .
Kovalkova said on Monday that over 30 people had been included in the council , namely winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Svetlana Alexievich , film director Yuri Khashchevatsky and Maria Kolesnikova , the campaign coordinator for Viktor Babariko who had been denied registration as a presidential candidate .
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9 .
According to the Central Election Commission , incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1 % of the vote while his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election ’ s results and left Belarus .
According to recent reports , Tikhanovskaya is currently in Lithuania .
On August 14 , she announced plans to set up a coordination council to ensure transfer of power .

"We intend to complete the formation process today, the council will consist of 70 people. We have received hundreds of applications and already announced some names. There will also be other influential people in the council," she said.
Kovalkova declined to comment on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s statement that he had suggested that ballots be recounted. According to her, the opposition plans to build dialogue with the country’s authorities to make sure that the will of the majority of the people is respected. "We need dialogue and we want to build it through the Coordination Council," she noted.
Kovalkova said on Monday that over 30 people had been included in the council, namely winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Svetlana Alexievich, film director Yuri Khashchevatsky and Maria Kolesnikova, the campaign coordinator for Viktor Babariko who had been denied registration as a presidential candidate.
Belarus held a presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote while his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12%. She refused to recognize the election’s results and left Belarus. According to recent reports, Tikhanovskaya is currently in Lithuania. On August 14, she announced plans to set up a coordination council to ensure transfer of power.


tass--2020-08-18--Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to return to Belarus soon, says authorized agent

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Olga Kovalkova , authorized representative of former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , @ @ @ @ @ soon return home .
Late on August 10 , Tikhanovskaya fled the country and is @ @ @ @ @ She was not planning to leave , therefore , I am certain that Svetlana will @ @ @ @ @ said Tuesday .
Belarus has been engulfed in mass protests since August 9 when the @ @ @ @ @ , as people reject the official results of the vote , showing incumbent President Alexander @ @ @ @ @ In the first days of the unrest , the rallies were coupled with clashes between @ @ @ @ @ According to the national Interior Ministry , more than 6,000 people were detained , while @ @ @ @ @ protesters were wounded .
Official results of the Central Election Commission show incumbent President Alexander @ @ @ @ @ 80.1 % of the votes , while his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya came second with @ @ @ @ @ rejected the results and declared Tikhanovskaya leader-elect until a new vote is held .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Olga Kovalkova, authorized representative of former Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, believes that the politician will soon return home.
Late on August 10, Tikhanovskaya fled the country and is now in Lithuania.
"She was not planning to leave, therefore, I am certain that Svetlana will return shortly," she said Tuesday.
Belarus has been engulfed in mass protests since August 9 when the country held its presidential election, as people reject the official results of the vote, showing incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko securing his reelection. In the first days of the unrest, the rallies were coupled with clashes between demonstrators and police officers. According to the national Interior Ministry, more than 6,000 people were detained, while dozens of police officers and protesters were wounded.
Official results of the Central Election Commission show incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko winning the election with 80.1% of the votes, while his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya came second with 10.12%. The opposition rejected the results and declared Tikhanovskaya leader-elect until a new vote is held.


tass--2020-08-18--Press review: EU blackballs Lukashenko and more Gulf Arab states eye ties with Israel

On August 17 , leading parliamentary factions of the European Parliament stated that they do not recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the elected president of Belarus , and branded him persona non grata in the EU .
They demanded `` new and free elections , under the supervision of independent observers , '' their statement reads .
The document also calls on Russia not to meddle in the affairs of Belarus .
The fact that Brussels does not recognize the results of the Belarusian election became clear back on August 14 , following a meeting among the EU ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s election results as falsified , and concurred on imposing individual sanctions against several Belarusian officials .
A source in European diplomatic circles told Izvestia that the restrictions would include the usual freezing of EU assets and banning entry to the EU .
The names to be put on the blacklist are currently under discussion .
However , not everyone in the EU would like to intervene in the domestic affairs of Belarus .
Izvestia ’ s sources in the European Parliament noted that this statement had been made not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but on the behalf of separate political movements , which means that it does not reflect the position of the entire legislative body .
`` We are the Union State , and Belarus is our closest neighbor .
We are told not to meddle .
But why on earth would the EU meddle ?
As far as I know , the republic does not form part of the EU , '' First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council ’ s ( upper house of parliament ) Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its lawfully elected president .
The government and the Belarusian nation , not the EU , will decide what to do next .
We already know how its meddling worked out in the past , when the union posed as a guarantor for the peaceful transition of power in Kiev , and we all remember how that ended .
I think that the European Parliament slightly exceeds its authority .
This matter concerns the Belarusian nation , they will deal with it themselves .
If we should not need to meddle , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator stressed .
The deal between Washington , Kabul and the Taliban ( outlawed in Russia ) is under threat .
Kabul has suspended the process of releasing 400 remaining Taliban members due to the objections made by France , Australia and the United States .
They suspect that the list of released prisoners includes people involved in the killing of French , Australian and American citizens in Afghanistan .
Meanwhile , US President Donald Trump wants to include the US-Taliban agreement on a list of successful deals made during his administration in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this presidential campaign , Izvestia notes .
According to recent opinion polls , so far , 46 % of Americans are ready to support Trump in the election , while 50 % say they will vote for Trump ’ s most probable Democratic rival Joe Biden .
When Trump promised that American soldiers would pull out of Afghanistan , everyone saw this as some utopia , political analyst and post-Soviet expert Galiya Ibragimova told Izvestia .
`` When the US leader began to lobby for a deal with the Taliban , people said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Afghanistan is not a priority issue for the Trump administration , and they had no illusions about it , '' she explained .
The expert added that the US leader had been repeatedly criticized for negotiating with the Taliban , a terrorist organization .
`` So it turns out that the US , a global power , has begun to negotiate with a group considered a terrorist entity in many countries , including the United States itself , and not with a state that is a subject of international relations .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political subject , they have become a significant power within Afghanistan , '' Ibragimova told the newspaper .
The events in Afghanistan are a direct factor in the US election race .
President Trump needs to show his electorate that he had achieved progress , and he sees a peace deal with the Taliban as major proof that his policy is a success , Eduard Solovyev , who heads the Post-Soviet Research Department of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations ( IMEMO ) told Izvestia .
`` The end of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement of the situation there formed part of Trump ’ s election campaign back when he ran for his first term .
He wants to use this promise as a trump card before the new election campaign .
However , right now , Afghanistan has taken a backseat .
US voters have other priorities , namely in foreign policy like stepping up the confrontation with China , and trying to rebuild relations with European allies , '' the expert noted .
A number of Arab states may follow the example of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to normalize relations with Israel , both Israeli and US politicians working on the agreement with Abu Dhabi confirm .
Oman and Bahrain have been named among the next possible candidates , Kommersant reports .
So far , Israel has established diplomatic relations with Egypt ( in 1979 ) and with Jordan ( in 1994 ) .
However , in recent years , the situation has changed , and the Palestinian issue has taken a backseat , although officially , it still remains the main obstacle for establishing ties between many Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincidence that Israel ’ s suspension of its planned annexation of part of the West Bank was one of the conditions for the Israel-UAE deal .
Other Arab states expect the same of Israel when discussing peace in the region , the newspaper points out .
A deal with Saudi Arabia may also be in the works , Kommersant suggests .
On Sunday , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of dialogue with Saudi Arabia , reiterating that Israel ’ s reconciliation with the Arab world may facilitate the Israeli-Palestinian peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around .
`` It is more difficult for Saudi Arabia than for Oman or Bahrain .
A deal with Israel may cause domestic unrest there .
While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a pragmatic stance on contacts with Israel , many members of the royal family , including the king himself , as well as members of the religious and political elite , are against any convergence of both states , at least in the near future , '' Grigory Kosach , a professor at the Lomonosov Moscow State University , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi monarch has the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques , and he is considered the main defender of the interests of Muslims .
`` There have been calls within the Islamic world for revoking this title from the Saudis , and open contacts between Riyadh and Israel may deepen the rift , '' the expert noted .
However , according to him , the reaction of state-run Saudi media shows that the kingdom supports a pragmatic approach to relations with Israel .
In July , all Russian industrial sectors except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall volume of production dropped 8 % lower than last year ’ s figures , on the other hand , it rose 3.4 % higher than last month .
The Russian Federal State Statistics Service informed that including seasonal and calendar factors , Russia ’ s industrial sector grew by 1.5 % compared to June .
Oil producers and refineries have been named among the outsiders , however ( oil production dropped 15 % , while oil processing went down by 11 % ) , along with fuel producers ( with a 10-15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producers of construction materials ( brick production is down by over 10 % ) and steelworkers involved in manufacturing certain categories of goods .
`` A recovery was recorded in July among the majority of processing industries , '' Vladimir Salnikov from the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Range Forecasting told Vedomosti .
`` Normally , the steeper a drop is , the faster the recovery . ''
However , this recovery has been thwarted by the ongoing crisis in the hydrocarbons industry .
According to Salnikov , the growth of industrial production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the industry being dominated by the extraction of mineral resources , which will be on the decline within the OPEC+ agreement and due to low demand within the economy .
Georgy Ostapkovich , who heads the Center for Market Studies at the Higher School of Economics , told Vedomosti that the main factor impeding businesses from entering an active growth phase is the `` uncertain economic situation . ''
Companies can not make long-or short-term predictions regarding their finances when it is unclear whether a second wave of the novel coronavirus is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise or drop , or whether banks would increase or lower their credit rate , the expert said .
Russia has reached a peak in job dismissals compared to previous years , Levada Center , a Russian independent polling and sociological research organization , noted .
In July , 17 % of about 1,500 respondents noted that they or their family members had received delayed payments , 28 % said that their salary had been cut , and 29 % reported that they or their family members had been fired .
The analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it reached a peak low in late April , the SuperJob research portal informed Nezavisimaya Gazeta .
Researchers have calculated an index measuring the recruitment activity of employers on the Russian market .
In late April , this index had reached 42 % of the average pre-crisis ( or pre-quarantine ) level .
However , after the coronavirus restrictions had been lifted , the activity of employers began to rise .
`` Currently , the labor market index hit 84 % compared to the average figures before the crisis , '' SuperJob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Yet , wage offers have dropped on average by 25-30 % from the pre-crisis level . ''
`` According to our researchers , the recovery of the Russian economy will take several years , '' he noted , adding that the activity of job searchers is lower than the employer index .
`` This is due to the fact that those people who thought of changing their job abandoned this idea in favor of stability .
Seasonal factors have also played a role .
The majority of people currently searching for work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country houses or in small cities , '' Tikhov stated .
`` It is expected that by early fall , the activity of job searchers will rise .
This will increase competition for job offers .
However , highly qualified specialists will stay in demand , and they will be entitled to higher wages , '' he added .
TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews .

Izvestia: EU blackballs Lukashenko
Read also EU moves to impose individual sanctions against Belarus
On August 17, leading parliamentary factions of the European Parliament stated that they do not recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the elected president of Belarus, and branded him persona non grata in the EU. They demanded "new and free elections, under the supervision of independent observers," their statement reads. The document also calls on Russia not to meddle in the affairs of Belarus. The fact that Brussels does not recognize the results of the Belarusian election became clear back on August 14, following a meeting among the EU’s top diplomats. Back then, they deemed the country’s election results as falsified, and concurred on imposing individual sanctions against several Belarusian officials. A source in European diplomatic circles told Izvestia that the restrictions would include the usual freezing of EU assets and banning entry to the EU. The names to be put on the blacklist are currently under discussion. However, not everyone in the EU would like to intervene in the domestic affairs of Belarus. Izvestia’s sources in the European Parliament noted that this statement had been made not on behalf of the entire parliament, but on the behalf of separate political movements, which means that it does not reflect the position of the entire legislative body. Moscow has lambasted the European Parliament’s statement. "We are the Union State, and Belarus is our closest neighbor. We are told not to meddle. But why on earth would the EU meddle? As far as I know, the republic does not form part of the EU," First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s (upper house of parliament) Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov told the newspaper. "Belarus has its lawfully elected president. The government and the Belarusian nation, not the EU, will decide what to do next. We already know how its meddling worked out in the past, when the union posed as a guarantor for the peaceful transition of power in Kiev, and we all remember how that ended. I think that the European Parliament slightly exceeds its authority. This matter concerns the Belarusian nation, they will deal with it themselves. If we should not need to meddle, then neither should the EU," the senator stressed. Izvestia: US-Taliban deal on the rocks
The deal between Washington, Kabul and the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) is under threat. Kabul has suspended the process of releasing 400 remaining Taliban members due to the objections made by France, Australia and the United States. They suspect that the list of released prisoners includes people involved in the killing of French, Australian and American citizens in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump wants to include the US-Taliban agreement on a list of successful deals made during his administration in order to rack up political points for this presidential campaign, Izvestia notes. According to recent opinion polls, so far, 46% of Americans are ready to support Trump in the election, while 50% say they will vote for Trump’s most probable Democratic rival Joe Biden. When Trump promised that American soldiers would pull out of Afghanistan, everyone saw this as some utopia, political analyst and post-Soviet expert Galiya Ibragimova told Izvestia. "When the US leader began to lobby for a deal with the Taliban, people said that it was stillborn. Everyone understood that Afghanistan is not a priority issue for the Trump administration, and they had no illusions about it," she explained. The expert added that the US leader had been repeatedly criticized for negotiating with the Taliban, a terrorist organization. "So it turns out that the US, a global power, has begun to negotiate with a group considered a terrorist entity in many countries, including the United States itself, and not with a state that is a subject of international relations. They [the Taliban] have become a political subject, they have become a significant power within Afghanistan," Ibragimova told the newspaper. The events in Afghanistan are a direct factor in the US election race. President Trump needs to show his electorate that he had achieved progress, and he sees a peace deal with the Taliban as major proof that his policy is a success, Eduard Solovyev, who heads the Post-Soviet Research Department of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) told Izvestia. "The end of America’s presence in Afghanistan and the settlement of the situation there formed part of Trump’s election campaign back when he ran for his first term. He wants to use this promise as a trump card before the new election campaign. However, right now, Afghanistan has taken a backseat. US voters have other priorities, namely in foreign policy like stepping up the confrontation with China, and trying to rebuild relations with European allies," the expert noted. Kommersant: More Gulf Arab states mulling ties with Israel
A number of Arab states may follow the example of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which agreed to normalize relations with Israel, both Israeli and US politicians working on the agreement with Abu Dhabi confirm. Oman and Bahrain have been named among the next possible candidates, Kommersant reports. So far, Israel has established diplomatic relations with Egypt (in 1979) and with Jordan (in 1994). However, in recent years, the situation has changed, and the Palestinian issue has taken a backseat, although officially, it still remains the main obstacle for establishing ties between many Arab states and Israel. It is no coincidence that Israel’s suspension of its planned annexation of part of the West Bank was one of the conditions for the Israel-UAE deal. Other Arab states expect the same of Israel when discussing peace in the region, the newspaper points out. A deal with Saudi Arabia may also be in the works, Kommersant suggests. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of dialogue with Saudi Arabia, reiterating that Israel’s reconciliation with the Arab world may facilitate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and not the other way around. "It is more difficult for Saudi Arabia than for Oman or Bahrain. A deal with Israel may cause domestic unrest there. While Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a pragmatic stance on contacts with Israel, many members of the royal family, including the king himself, as well as members of the religious and political elite, are against any convergence of both states, at least in the near future," Grigory Kosach, a professor at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Kommersant. He pointed out that the Saudi monarch has the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and he is considered the main defender of the interests of Muslims. "There have been calls within the Islamic world for revoking this title from the Saudis, and open contacts between Riyadh and Israel may deepen the rift," the expert noted. However, according to him, the reaction of state-run Saudi media shows that the kingdom supports a pragmatic approach to relations with Israel. Vedomosti: Russia’s oil industry crisis impedes overall recovery
Read also OPEC countries fulfill their obligations under oil production cut deal by 97% in July
In July, all Russian industrial sectors except resource-based sectors indicated a recovery. The overall volume of production dropped 8% lower than last year’s figures, on the other hand, it rose 3.4% higher than last month. The Russian Federal State Statistics Service informed that including seasonal and calendar factors, Russia’s industrial sector grew by 1.5% compared to June. Oil producers and refineries have been named among the outsiders, however (oil production dropped 15%, while oil processing went down by 11%), along with fuel producers (with a 10-15% drop in production recorded), producers of construction materials (brick production is down by over 10%) and steelworkers involved in manufacturing certain categories of goods. "A recovery was recorded in July among the majority of processing industries," Vladimir Salnikov from the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Range Forecasting told Vedomosti. "Normally, the steeper a drop is, the faster the recovery." However, this recovery has been thwarted by the ongoing crisis in the hydrocarbons industry. According to Salnikov, the growth of industrial production in Russia will remain negative due to the industry being dominated by the extraction of mineral resources, which will be on the decline within the OPEC+ agreement and due to low demand within the economy. Georgy Ostapkovich, who heads the Center for Market Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told Vedomosti that the main factor impeding businesses from entering an active growth phase is the "uncertain economic situation." Companies cannot make long-or short-term predictions regarding their finances when it is unclear whether a second wave of the novel coronavirus is going to strike, whether oil prices would rise or drop, or whether banks would increase or lower their credit rate, the expert said. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Russia reaches peak in job dismissals
Read also Unemployment in Russia doubles


tass--2020-08-18--India contacts Russia over COVID-19 vaccine

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
India through its embassy in Moscow has established contact with the Russian developer @ @ @ @ @ against the novel coronavirus infection , The Indian Express daily reported on Tuesday citing the @ @ @ @ @ Indian Mission is engaging separately with the Russian side through our embassy in Moscow .
@ @ @ @ @ safety and efficacy data of this vaccine for Covid-19 , '' the source specified .
@ @ @ @ @ other vaccines against COVID-19 , including those developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and American @ @ @ @ @ vaccines are currently at different stages of clinical trials , including Indian medical institutions .
@ @ @ @ @ virology experts on Monday recommended the Indian government to consider the issue of possible acquisition @ @ @ @ @ August 11 , Russia became the first country worldwide to register the vaccine against the @ @ @ @ @ V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology @ @ @ @ @ .
It passed clinical trials in June - July .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. India through its embassy in Moscow has established contact with the Russian developer of the Sputnik V vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection, The Indian Express daily reported on Tuesday citing the government sources.
"The Indian Mission is engaging separately with the Russian side through our embassy in Moscow. We are now awaiting the safety and efficacy data of this vaccine for Covid-19," the source specified.
Indian experts are also considering other vaccines against COVID-19, including those developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and American Moderna-NIAID. Samples of these vaccines are currently at different stages of clinical trials, including Indian medical institutions. A special national group of virology experts on Monday recommended the Indian government to consider the issue of possible acquisition of these preparations.
On August 11, Russia became the first country worldwide to register the vaccine against the coronavirus which was named Sputnik V. The preparation was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry. It passed clinical trials in June - July.


tass--2020-08-18--Black Sea Fleet minesweeper arrives in Mediterranean Sea for Russian Navy’s drills

SEVASTOPOL , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Black Sea Fleet ’ s minesweeper Ivan Golubets arrived in the Mediterranean Sea for accomplishing missions within the Russian Navy ’ s taskforce , the Fleet ’ s press office reported on Tuesday .
`` The Black Sea Fleet ’ s ocean minesweeper Ivan Golubets has completed its transit through the Black Sea straits and started accomplishing assignments as part of the Russian Navy ’ s permanent taskforce in the Mediterranean Sea , '' the press office said in a statement .
`` During its transit to the distant maritime zone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the ship ’ s maneuvering and control while passing through sea lanes with intensive shipping .
Within the Navy ’ s taskforce , the crew began drills for searching for mines in the designated water area , using various contact and non-contact sweeps , to lead a group of ships through minefields , '' the statement says .
The crew of the minesweeper Ivan Golubets joined the Russian Navy ’ s taskforce on a planned rotating basis to replace the ocean minesweeper Vice-Admiral Zakharyin that had been in service in the Mediterranean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press office said .
The Soviet Navy ’ s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy ’ s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present .
The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period .
Its main rival was the US Navy ’ s 6th Fleet .
The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31 , 1992 , a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union .
In 2013 , Russia started to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations , including warding off threats to Russia ’ s national and military security .

SEVASTOPOL, August 18. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet’s minesweeper Ivan Golubets arrived in the Mediterranean Sea for accomplishing missions within the Russian Navy’s taskforce, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.
"The Black Sea Fleet’s ocean minesweeper Ivan Golubets has completed its transit through the Black Sea straits and started accomplishing assignments as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent taskforce in the Mediterranean Sea," the press office said in a statement.
"During its transit to the distant maritime zone, the minesweeper’s personnel practiced measures for the ship’s maneuvering and control while passing through sea lanes with intensive shipping. Within the Navy’s taskforce, the crew began drills for searching for mines in the designated water area, using various contact and non-contact sweeps, to lead a group of ships through minefields," the statement says.
The crew of the minesweeper Ivan Golubets joined the Russian Navy’s taskforce on a planned rotating basis to replace the ocean minesweeper Vice-Admiral Zakharyin that had been in service in the Mediterranean Sea from May this year, the press office said.
Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron
The Soviet Navy’s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present. The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period. Its main rival was the US Navy’s 6th Fleet. The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31, 1992, a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
In 2013, Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce. Russia’s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats to Russia’s national and military security.


tass--2020-08-18--Belarus plans to interrogate Russian reporter suspected of taking part in mass protests

MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The Belarusian Investigative Committee has called in for questioning Russian citizen Artyom Vazhenkov , suspected of participating in mass protests in Minsk .
For his part , Vazhenkov informed the Belarusian investigative bodies that he is unable to come , Alexei Pryanishnikov , coordinator of the organization aiding the detained Russian , told TASS on Tuesday .
`` An investigator with the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus called in Russian national Artyom Vazhenkov , released from a detention facility in Minsk on August 15 , for questioning on August 18 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case launched due to mass protests in Minsk , '' the representative said .
`` It is unclear how Vazhenkov can reach Minsk without any identifying documents ( they were seized along with personal belongings during his detention by the Minsk law enforcement ) .
In this regard , Vazhenkov sent a notice to the Belarusian Investigative Committee stating that he is unable to come . ''
Vazhenkov has been hospitalized in Russia due to the injuries he received at the detention facility , his attorney Anton Gashinsky informed TASS .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigative Committee can not take place due to Vazhenkov ’ s health condition .
He has been hospitalized after the injuries received in Okrestino [ a detention facility in Minsk - TASS ] , '' the attorney stated .
The attorney confirmed that the Belarusian investigative bodies wanted to meet with the Russian reporter on Tuesday .
However , Vazhenkov is still unable to come to Minsk .
Another reason for this is the restrictions introduced on the Russian-Belarusian border due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
It was reported earlier that Russian Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ambassador to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev to inform her about the conditions of detention of Vazhenkov and other Russian nationals detained in Belarus .
Earlier , the Belarusian Investigative Committee confirmed the detention of Russian reporters Artyom Vazhenkov and Igor Rogov .
They are suspected of taking part in mass protests .
On August 15 , Vazhenkov was released with the obligation to present himself when summoned by the Belarusian authorities .
He returned to Russia shortly afterwards .

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has called in for questioning Russian citizen Artyom Vazhenkov, suspected of participating in mass protests in Minsk. For his part, Vazhenkov informed the Belarusian investigative bodies that he is unable to come, Alexei Pryanishnikov, coordinator of the organization aiding the detained Russian, told TASS on Tuesday.
"An investigator with the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus called in Russian national Artyom Vazhenkov, released from a detention facility in Minsk on August 15, for questioning on August 18. Investigative action is planned within the criminal case launched due to mass protests in Minsk," the representative said. "It is unclear how Vazhenkov can reach Minsk without any identifying documents (they were seized along with personal belongings during his detention by the Minsk law enforcement). In this regard, Vazhenkov sent a notice to the Belarusian Investigative Committee stating that he is unable to come."
Vazhenkov has been hospitalized in Russia due to the injuries he sustained at the detention facility, his attorney Anton Gashinsky informed TASS. "The meeting with the representatives of the Belarusian Investigative Committee cannot take place due to Vazhenkov’s health condition. He has been hospitalized after the injuries sustained in Okrestino [a detention facility in Minsk - TASS]," the attorney stated.
The attorney confirmed that the Belarusian investigative bodies wanted to meet with the Russian reporter on Tuesday. However, Vazhenkov is still unable to come to Minsk. Another reason for this is the restrictions introduced on the Russian-Belarusian border due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was reported earlier that Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova had asked Russian Ambassador to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev to inform her about the conditions of detention of Vazhenkov and other Russian nationals detained in Belarus.
Earlier, the Belarusian Investigative Committee confirmed the detention of Russian reporters Artyom Vazhenkov and Igor Rogov. They are suspected of taking part in mass protests. On August 15, Vazhenkov was released with the obligation to present himself when summoned by the Belarusian authorities. He returned to Russia shortly afterwards.


tass--2020-08-18--Chinese vaccine produced by Sinopharm to be available in December for $150

BEIJING , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical corporation Sinopharm will be available on the market in December of this year for about $ 150 , Chairman of Sinopharm Group Liu Jingzhen stated on Tuesday , noting that this will be possible after the third stage of clinical trials is over .
`` After the third stage of international clinical trials ends , we can register the inactivated vaccine .
According to our estimations , by the end of the year , it may appear on the market , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` According to our estimations , the Beijing Institute of Biological Products can produce up to 120 mln inactivated vaccines a year , and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products can produce an additional 100 mln , '' he stated .
`` I have personally received two shots of the vaccine , there were no side effects , '' Liu Jingzhen informed .
`` After the inactivated vaccine enters the market , its price will not be too high , it will be around several hundred yuan .
Two shots will cost about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he added .
`` If you do one shot , the probability of protection is about 97 % , antibodies are developing slowly , '' the chairman stated .
`` Usually , about half a month is needed to reach the level sufficient to counter COVID-19 .
If you do two shots , the probability of protection may reach 100 % , '' he added .
`` The interval between the first and the second shot usually lasts 28 days .
In some exceptional cases , two injections can be done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm .
Four micrograms of the vaccine are injected each time , '' the company official informed .
He added that it is unnecessary to vaccinate the entire population of China , however , working people living in densely populated areas of the country must receive the vaccine .
The inactivated vaccines developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and the Beijing Institute of Biological Products forming part of Sinopharm earlier received an approval for the first and second stages of clinical trials , whose results were published in June .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage of clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates .

BEIJING, August 18. /TASS/. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical corporation Sinopharm will be available on the market in December of this year for about $150, Chairman of Sinopharm Group Liu Jingzhen stated on Tuesday, noting that this will be possible after the third stage of clinical trials is over.
"After the third stage of international clinical trials ends, we can register the inactivated vaccine. According to our estimations, by the end of the year, it may appear on the market," he said, quoted by Guangming Ribao newspaper. "According to our estimations, the Beijing Institute of Biological Products can produce up to 120 mln inactivated vaccines a year, and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products can produce an additional 100 mln," he stated.
"I have personally received two shots of the vaccine, there were no side effects," Liu Jingzhen informed. "After the inactivated vaccine enters the market, its price will not be too high, it will be around several hundred yuan. Two shots will cost about 1,000 yuan (about $144)," he added.
"If you do one shot, the probability of protection is about 97%, antibodies are developing slowly," the chairman stated. "Usually, about half a month is needed to reach the level sufficient to counter COVID-19. If you do two shots, the probability of protection may reach 100%," he added. "The interval between the first and the second shot usually lasts 28 days. In some exceptional cases, two injections can be done at once in the left and right arm. Four micrograms of the vaccine are injected each time," the company official informed.
He added that it is not necessary to vaccinate the entire population of China, however, working people living in densely populated areas of the country must receive the vaccine.
The inactivated vaccines developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and the Beijing Institute of Biological Products forming part of Sinopharm earlier received an approval for the first and second stages of clinical trials, whose results were published in June. On June 23, Sinopharm began the third stage of clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates.


tass--2020-08-18--Russia records 4,748 new daily coronavirus cases

Journalists from Russian PM ’ s pool depart from Far East over coronavirus situation The total number of cases has reached 932,493 .
According to the crisis center , the daily coronavirus growth rate stands at 0.5 % for the third day in a row .
MOSCOW , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Russia recorded 4,748 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours , the lowest number since April 20 , the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Tuesday .
The rate is the lowest in the Nenets Autonomous Region ( 0 % ) , the Chukotka Autonomous Region ( 0 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.1 % ) , the Moscow Region ( 0.2 % ) , the Trans-Baikal Region ( 0.2 % ) , the Smolensk Region ( 0.2 % ) , the Bryansk Region ( 0.2 % ) , the North Ossetia Region ( 0.2 % ) and the Kalmykia Region ( 0.2 % ) .
Russia ’ s new daily coronavirus cases below 5,000 for the first time since April 23 In the past day as many as 693 cases were identified in Moscow , 157 - in St. Petersburg , 149 - in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow Region and 128 - in the Stavropol Region .
There are currently 173,993 active coronavirus cases in the country .
The number of coronavirus patients discharged over the past 24 hours in Russia has increased by 6,527 , bringing the total to 742,628 , the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Tuesday .
According to the crisis center , the share of recoveries to date makes up 79.6 % of the total COVID-19 case tally in Russia .
Having recovered , 1,155 patients were discharged in Moscow , 230 - in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irkutsk Region , 215 - in the Murmansk Region and 205 - in the Voronezh Region in one day .
The number of COVID-19 fatalities in Russia over the past 24 hours increased by 132 , compared to 55 the day before , pushing the total to 15,872 .
The share of fatalities makes up 1.7 % of the total number of the coronavirus infections .
Over 24 hours , 19 fatalities were registered in St. Petersburg , 11 - in Moscow , nine - in the Irkutsk Region and eight - in @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Journalists from Russian PM’s pool depart from Far East over coronavirus situation
The total number of cases has reached 932,493. According to the crisis center, the daily coronavirus growth rate stands at 0.5% for the third day in a row.
MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Russia recorded 4,748 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest number since April 20, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Tuesday.
The rate is the lowest in the Nenets Autonomous Region (0%), the Chukotka Autonomous Region (0%), the Karelia Region (0.1%), the Moscow Region (0.2%), the Trans-Baikal Region (0.2%), the Smolensk Region (0.2%), the Bryansk Region (0.2%), the North Ossetia Region (0.2%) and the Kalmykia Region (0.2%).
Russia’s new daily coronavirus cases below 5,000 for the first time since April 23
In the past day as many as 693 cases were identified in Moscow, 157 - in St. Petersburg, 149 - in the Sverdlovsk Region, 145 - in the Moscow Region and 128 - in the Stavropol Region.
There are currently 173,993 active coronavirus cases in the country.
Recoveries
The number of coronavirus patients discharged over the past 24 hours in Russia has increased by 6,527, bringing the total to 742,628, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Tuesday.
According to the crisis center, the share of recoveries to date makes up 79.6% of the total COVID-19 case tally in Russia.
Having recovered, 1,155 patients were discharged in Moscow, 230 - in the Chuvash Republic, 226 - in the Irkutsk Region, 215 - in the Murmansk Region and 205 - in the Voronezh Region in one day.
Fatalities
The number of COVID-19 fatalities in Russia over the past 24 hours increased by 132, compared to 55 the day before, pushing the total to 15,872. The share of fatalities makes up 1.7% of the total number of the coronavirus infections.
Over 24 hours, 19 fatalities were registered in St. Petersburg, 11 - in Moscow, nine - in the Irkutsk Region and eight - in the Omsk and Altai regions each.


tass--2020-08-18--Reports of Belarusian foreign minister’s resignation are incorrect — diplomatic source

MINSK , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
Reports of Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei ’ s resignation , which appeared @ @ @ @ @ a number of media outlets , are incorrect , a diplomatic source told TASS .
@ @ @ @ @ , '' the source said .
`` Vladimir Makei is at the office and continues @ @ @ @ @ Reports appeared on social media earlier that Makei had allegedly resigned following Western countries ’ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus .

MINSK, August 18. /TASS/. Reports of Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei’s resignation, which appeared on social media and in a number of media outlets, are incorrect, a diplomatic source told TASS.
"This is fake news," the source said. "Vladimir Makei is at the office and continues to work hard."
Reports appeared on social media earlier that Makei had allegedly resigned following Western countries’ reaction to the situation in Belarus.


tass--2020-08-18--Democrats interested in working with Russia on reducing nuclear stockpiles

NEW YORK , August 18 .
/TASS/ .
The US Democratic Party in case of a victory at the presidential election in November is ready to interact with Moscow on the issues of limiting and reducing nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia .
Those are the provisions of the foreign policy part of the proposed Democratic Party platform subject for approval by the National Convention .
`` Just as was the case during the height of the Cold War , it ’ s in our interest to work with Russia to verifiably limit and reduce our nuclear stockpiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to negotiate arms control agreements that reflect the emergence of new players like China , capture new technologies , and move the world back from the nuclear precipice , '' the document said .
The program draft also includes the promise to stand up `` to a revanchist Russia '' together with European partners .
`` We will not allow Moscow to interfere in our democracies or chip away at our resolve .
We will reaffirm America ’ s commitment to NATO and defending our allies .
We will maintain transatlantic support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territorial integrity , '' the document stated .
The convention delegates are going to name Joe Biden as the US presidential nominee and Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate at the upcoming election on November 3 .
Due to the coronavirus pandemic the event is conducted remotely .

NEW YORK, August 18. /TASS/. The US Democratic Party in case of a victory at the presidential election in November is ready to interact with Moscow on the issues of limiting and reducing nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. Those are the provisions of the foreign policy part of the proposed Democratic Party platform subject for approval by the National Convention.
"Just as was the case during the height of the Cold War, it’s in our interest to work with Russia to verifiably limit and reduce our nuclear stockpiles. We will build on this foundation to negotiate arms control agreements that reflect the emergence of new players like China, capture new technologies, and move the world back from the nuclear precipice," the document said.
The program draft also includes the promise to stand up "to a revanchist Russia" together with European partners. "We will not allow Moscow to interfere in our democracies or chip away at our resolve. We will reaffirm America’s commitment to NATO and defending our allies. We will maintain transatlantic support for Ukraine’s reform efforts and its territorial integrity," the document stated.
The convention delegates are going to name Joe Biden as the US presidential nominee and Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate at the upcoming election on November 3. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the event is conducted remotely.