TheNewsGuru

Tag: Russia

  • Lawmakers move to jail quarantine violators for up to 7 years

    Russia’s Lower House of Parliament gave its final approval on Tuesday to legislation to send quarantine violators to prison for up to seven years.

    According to the legislature, if a person violating a quarantine measure causes an outbreak, that person could be imprisoned for two years.

    A violation that leads to the death of multiple people would be punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment.

    The legislation also targeted the dissemination of information.

    If such information is deemed incorrect and causes harm to an individual’s health, the person who spread such information could be jailed for three years.

  • Russia to ban all int’l flights as COVID-19 cases rise to 840

    Russia says on Thursday that it will ban nearly all international flights from Friday and recommend new restrictions, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 840.

    According to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Russia will stop all regular/charter flights from domestic airports to and from foreign countries, except flights associated with Russians returning home from abroad and flights carried out by the Russian government.

    Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that all Russian citizens abroad should inform the ministry about the need to return to the country before 14:00 local time (1100 GMT).

    It also warned all returning citizens to be ready for mandatory quarantine restrictions for 14 days from the moment they cross the Russian border.

    According to Russia’s Consumer Rights and Human Well-being Watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, the number of COVID-19 cases increased from 182 to 840 on Thursday, and a total of 38 people had recovered so far.

    Meanwhile, two patients, aged 73 and 88, respectively, died of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus in a Moscow clinic on Wednesday, the Moscow Health Department said in a statement late Wednesday.

    According to Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, restaurants, cafes, canteens and some shops will be closed from March 28 to April 5, during which all Russians will be given paid leave to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

  • Russia starts testing coronavirus vaccines

    Russia starts testing coronavirus vaccines

    Russian consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Friday Russia has started testing coronavirus vaccines and hopes to launch its mass production by the end of the year.

    “The research centre of Rospotrebnadzor started testing the vaccine against the novel coronavirus,’’ the watchdog said.

    It said the vaccine prototypes are based on six different technological platforms.

    Rospotrebnadzor hopes that the mass production of the vaccines would be launched in the fourth quarter of 2020.

  • Nigeria in serious trouble as Oil price falls to $31 after Saudi Arabia triggers price war with Russia

    Nigeria in serious trouble as Oil price falls to $31 after Saudi Arabia triggers price war with Russia

    Oil fell by the most since 1991 on Monday after Saudi Arabia started a price war with Russia by slashing its selling prices and pledging to unleash its pent-up supply onto a market reeling from falling demand because of the coronavirus outbreak.

    Brent crude futures fell by as much as $14.25, or 31.5%, to $31.02 a barrel. That was the biggest percentage drop since Jan. 17, 1991, at the start of the first Gulf War and the lowest since Feb. 12, 2016. It was trading at $35.75 at 0114 GMT.

    U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by as much as $11.28, or 27.4%, to $30 a barrel. That was also the biggest percentage drop since the first Gulf War in January 1991 and the lowest since Feb. 22, 2016. It was trading at $32.61.

    Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is attempting to punish Russia, the world’s second-largest producer, for balking on Friday at production cuts proposed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

    OPEC and other producers supported the cuts to stabilise falling prices caused by the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

    Saudi Arabia plans to boost crude output above 10 million barrels per day (bpd) in April after the current supply deal between OPEC and Russia, – known as OPEC+ – expires at the end of March, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.

  • Brent hits $45 as OPEC, Russia disagree on daily production cuts

    Brent hits $45 as OPEC, Russia disagree on daily production cuts

    Oil prices took a worse turn on Friday evening after Russia rejected the proposal to cut daily oil production by 1.5 million barrels. This development further dented the already battered market.

    After the meeting, Russia refused to support the move, arguing that it was too early to predict the impact of a coronavirus outbreak on global energy demand. This means bigger trouble for oil dependent nations like Nigeria as prices continue to fall below their budget benchmark for the year. Nigeria had a benchmark of $57 per barrel in the 2020 budget.

    As at the time of filing this report, the international benchmark, Brent Crude, plunged by 8.20 percent equivalent to $4.09 to trade at $45.90, while the US crude, the West Texas Intermediate fell by a staggering 8.45 percent or $3.88 to $42.02 per barrel.

    With the failure of this deal, OPEC members and non-OPEC producers can produce the commodity at will in an already oversupplied market after the existing deal for output cuts expire at the end of March.

    And with an oil-glut imminent, prices will have no choice but to continue dropping.

    On Thursday, OPEC members backed an additional 1.5 million barrels per day of oil cuts until the end of 2020, equal to around 1.5 percent of global demand, a much bigger and more extended move than expected of 600,000 barrels per day.

    They also called for extending existing OPEC+ cuts of 2.1 million barrels per day, meaning the proposed combined total of the cuts envisaged would have been 3.6 million bpd or about 3.6 percent of global supplies.

    But they made the proposal on the condition that Russia and other non-producers will agree to the deal, but with the disagreement, analysts foresee a bad stain on a market already faced with the disruption by the coronavirus.

  • Two coronavirus patients in Russia discharged after full recovery

    Two coronavirus patients in Russia discharged after full recovery

    Russian Health Authorities on Wednesday discharged the country’s only two reported patients with the new coronavirus, two Chinese nationals in Siberia, saying they have fully recovered.

    The Health Ministry’s branch in the Zabaikalsky region, which borders China, announced on Wednesday that their patient had been released but his wife and daughter were still under observation.

    The ministry said that the man, who began treatment two weeks ago, is completely healthy and does not pose any danger to the public.

    According to the ministry, a female student in the Tyumen region, which borders Kazakhstan, was reported earlier as having been discharged after about two weeks of treatment.

    However, the woman was to continue her studies at Tyumen Industrial University.

  • Coronavirus: Brent Falls to $54 as Russia Rejects OPEC Cuts

    Coronavirus: Brent Falls to $54 as Russia Rejects OPEC Cuts

    Brent Crude futures fell below $55 per barrel on Friday as major futures recorded a fifth consecutive weekly loss, with Russia saying it was not ready to adhere to cuts recommended to help the global market affected by the spread of the coronavirus.

    On the back of this, Brent crude shed 46 cents or 0.84 percent to trade at $54.47 per barrel, while the WTI crude fell back to the $50 mark after losing 61 cents equivalent to 1.2 percent to trade at $50.32 per barrel.

    In the latest development concerning the coronavirus, over 630 people have been confirmed dead and this continues to affect demand with more than 31,000 cases of the deadly pneumonia like virus in the country of China, the world’s largest importer of oil.

    The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies are seeking to extend oil cut up to 2.3 million barrels per day till June 2020 to help prices which are hit by the virus spread.

    After a three-day extended dialogue between members of the cartel, there was a suggestion for extra 600,000 barrels per day, but Russia Energy Minister, Mr Alexander Novak, said the leader of the OPEC allies needed more time to assess the situation and was not ready to commit.

    He also estimated that global demand would drop by 150,000 to 200,000 barrels per day this year due to the epidemic that originated in Wuhan City, China last December.

    It is known that Russia is more interested in extending the period of the current cut of 1.7 million barrels per day till June not that which will see an additional 600,000 bpd. This is however subject to approval by producers in OPEC+ who are to meet in Vienna on March 5-6, although the meeting could be brought forward because of concerns surrounding the virus.

    The effect of the virus on dwindling prices is more important than many analysts believe as even a strong growth in US employment failed to help the market as it normally would. A report on US employment on Friday showed that the economy added 225,000 jobs in January

  • JUST IN: 94 passengers, 6 crew miraculously escape aircraft disaster [Photos/Video]

    JUST IN: 94 passengers, 6 crew miraculously escape aircraft disaster [Photos/Video]

    Ninety six passengers and six crew members have miraculously escaped an aircraft disaster after a Boeing airliner on Sunday crash-landed at the Usinsk Airport in Russia.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Boeing 737-500 aircraft, built in 1997 and belonging to UTair with registration number VQ-BPS, made a hard landing and was damaged in the process.

    However, nobody was injured, and all 94 passengers and six crew members have been evacuated.

    The aircraft, en route from Moscow, slided to a stop on its engines and belly, according to Russian news agencies, citing emergency officials.

    https://twitter.com/RuAviaPhotog/status/1226461247060795394?s=19

  • Russia banned from Olympic Games

    Russia banned from Olympic Games

    Russia was banned from the Olympics and other major world championships on Monday after sporting officials decided to punish it for tampering with doping-related laboratory data in another blow to Russia’s already tarnished sporting reputation.

    The decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), imposed a four-year ban on Russia participating in a range of top-flight sporting tournaments, a period covering the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the 2022 soccer World Cup.

    WADA’s executive committee took the decision after concluding that Moscow had tampered with laboratory data by planting fake evidence and deleting files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats.

    The decision to punish Russia with a ban was unanimous, a WADA spokesman said.

    Russia, which has tried to showcase itself as a global sports power, has been embroiled in doping scandals since a 2015 report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.

    Its doping woes have grown since, with many of its athletes sidelined from the past two Olympics and the country stripped of its flag altogether at last year’s Pyeongchang Winter Games as punishment for state-sponsored doping cover-ups at the 2014 Sochi Games.

    Monday’s sanctions, which also include a four-year ban on Russia hosting major sporting events, were recommended by WADA’s compliance review committee in response to the doctored laboratory data provided by Moscow earlier this year.

    One of the conditions for the reinstatement of Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, which was suspended in 2015 in the wake of the athletics doping scandal but reinstated last year, had been that Moscow provide an authentic copy of the laboratory data.

    The sanctions effectively strip the agency of its accreditation.

    RUSADA head Yuri Ganus could not be immediately be reached for comment. His deputy, Margarita Pakhnotskaya, told the TASS news agency that WADA’s decision had been expected.

    Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov last month attributed the discrepancies in the laboratory data to technical issues.

    Russia’s punishment leaves the door open for clean Russian athletes to compete at major international sporting events without their flag or anthem for the next four years, something they did at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

    Some Russian officials have tried to cast WADA’s behaviour as part of what they say is a broader Western attempt to hold back the country.

    Igor Lebedev, a lawmaker and deputy speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, said on Monday the move was a serious blow to Russian sport that required a tough response from Russia’s authorities, the RIA news agency reported.

    If RUSADA appeals WADA’s punishment, the case will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

  • Presidency lists takeaways from President Buhari’s visit to Russia

    Presidency lists takeaways from President Buhari’s visit to Russia

    President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria on Friday after his four-day visit to the Russian Republic.

    Trending: Patience Jonathan takes her 54th birthday anniversary to night-club [Watch her trending dance video]

    Patience Jonathan takes her 54th birthday anniversary to night-club [Watch her trending dance video]

    According to his Spokesman, Garba Shehu, who highlighted the takeaways from the President’s visit in an article made available to journalists on Saturday, said Buhari returned extremely happy with the success of the visit.

    Shehu Garba’s article said, “based upon the results, it must be concluded that the President’s mission was fully accomplished.

    “The definite high point was the decision by the Russians to agree to a government-to-government understanding that would see them return to complete the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill and commission it. Nigeria had expended well over USD 5 billion without it coming to fruition.

    “When he campaigned early in the year for his re-election, which he won with a majority of four million votes, marking a difference of 14 per cent against his closest rival, President Buhari reiterated an earlier promise to complete Ajaokuta to provide jobs and the steel backbone that the nation’s industrial complex needed so desperately. Could this have been achieved if he had locked himself inside the Aso Rock Villa? The answer is obviously a ‘no.’

    “Yet, this was not all that he secured. Presidents Buhari and Vladimir Putin opened a ‘new chapter’ in the historically important relationship between the two countries as they both agreed to expand cooperation in energy sector, petroleum and gas, trade and investment, defence and security, mining and steel development, aluminium and phosphate, education and agriculture and a plethora of other issues which, to my pleasure had been spelled out in an elaborate manner by Tonye Princewill, an astute leader in the All Progressives Congress, APC in an opinion article he widely circulated.

    “President Putin noted that the traditional friendly relationship between Nigeria and his country has gained a new momentum, symbolized by a 93 per cent growth in trade between the two nations in 2018, promising that ‘Russian companies are ready to offer their scientific and technological developments to their African partners, and share their experience of upgrading energy, transport and communications infrastructure.’

    “In President Buhari’s view, this summit was a necessary anchor ‘to kick start what has been a very cordial and mutually beneficial relationship in past years…there are similarities between Russia’s journey under your leadership (Putin’s) and Nigeria’s aspirations for the future. We can learn a lot from the experiences of Russia’s ongoing reforms of transitioning from an oil dependent economy to a modern, diversified and inclusive economy.’

    “Russia is clearly seeking to reconstruct the important role the country played in its Soviet era. They had traditionally supported African countries in their fights for independence and sought to build industrial infrastructure and develop national economies.

    “In another sense, the focus of the summit on multilateralism, the advocacy for the reform of the United Nations and climate change action is a direct response to Trump era unilateralism.

    “It is noteworthy that Nigeria got everything our delegation asked for. When German Chancellor, Angela Merkel visited President Buhari in Abuja in August last year, she made reference to a pertinent defect in the relationship between Europe and Africa when it comes to the promotion of projects.

    “‘When we give you a project, we show you the door to a bank. We tell you to go and obtain financing. The Chinese give you the project, they give you financing. That is something we will have to look at,’ she said to President Buhari.

    “Before the Europeans make up their minds on this, the Russians are now having a go at the idea. For every viable project Nigerian officials suggested in the course of this summit, the chances of the financing appeared within sight.

    “It is in the light of this that one of Russia’s leading rail line service providers, MEDPROM indicated their interest in undertaking the 1,400-kilometer Lagos-Calabar rail track that will pass through all the states in the South-South sub-region.

    “The agreement and MoU signed between the NNPC and the Russia’s Lukoil is another spectacular agreement along these lines. Lukoil owns seven refineries and a record turnover of USD 38 billion.

    “The two oil giants will upgrade their commercial relationship to a government-to-government backed partnership, to work together in upstream operations and in revamping Nigeria’s ill-functioning refineries. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari signed for the Nigerian side while Vagit Alekperov, President, signed on behalf of Lukoil.

    “In support of this, President Buhari made clear that he wished to work with Russian businesses to improve the efficiency of our oil and gas sector, giving a strong assurance that his administration will ‘ensure this initiative is implemented within the shortest possible time.’

    “Of no less significance is the MoU resolving past issues, paving the way for the revival of the rested joint venture between the NNPC and Russia’s gas giants, GASPROM for the development of Nigeria’s enormous gas resources and its infrastructure.

    “In that waggish but poisonous editorial, the newspaper in question raised concerns about terrorism, kidnapping and general insecurity in the country. It asked a question, wondering why the President would travel abroad when there is, in the country, the problem of kidnapping and fire from oil tankers had caused the loss of life and devastation of shops. Yes, these are sad and unwelcome.

    “This is a President who is praised for his prompt response to the Onitsha fire, first by releasing a message of commiseration same evening and thereafter, dispatching the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs on a condolence mission. The minister gave directive on the spot to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA for the immediate deployment of emergency assistance to the Southeast.

    “Either out of ignorance or mischief, the Punch failed to see how important it is for the President to seek international support in tackling home grown terrorists, the Boko Haram, reinforced by 2000 ex-ISIS fighters as disclosed by Mr. Putin.

    “Not only did President Buhari get that needed support to fight Boko Haram terrorists, he got the two countries to cooperate extensively in the strategic fields of defence, civil nuclear energy and in dealing with piracy and oil pipeline vandalism in the Gulf of Guinea.

    “The Nigerian leader also got a deal for the technological upgrade and timely delivery of the balance of seven, out of an existing order for 12 Attack Helicopters. These, and an assortment of military hardware are direly needed by Nigeria to deal with the new wave of crime bedevilling the country.

    “Interestingly, one of the three key themes of the whole conference is security. African states with Russia’s support have, as an outcome, drawn up a regional security architecture that would use new technological solutions to ensure security for cities, securing the borders and creating a buffer against the illegal movement of explosives, weapons, drugs and smuggling to reduce terrorist danger to the continent.

    “Still on security, the Nigeria-Russia Military Technical Agreement that lapsed a few years ago without being renewed will be given due attention by Nigeria. Russia had been ready with her part. President Buhari gave a response to this, saying, ‘I have directed the Minister of Defence to work with the Ministry of Justice to conclude this matter within the shortest possible time.’

    “The significance of this agreement lies in the fact that it opens the door to the procurement of military hardware, on a government-to-government basis, eliminating middlemen and reducing cost, as well as the training of military personnel, modernization of the armed forces, refurbishment and renewal of infrastructure and equipment, which President Putin said he is ready to assist Nigeria to undertake.

    “The one perennial business and, if you like emotional topic between the two countries is the protracted issue of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State.

    “It too, will be resolved. President Buhari announced that he had asked the Ministry of Justice, ‘to submit a comprehensive report on the UC Russel (the Russian owners of the plant) matter…I want to assure you that the aim of our reforms is to ensure such investments are concluded and actualized in a professional and painless manner.’

    “There are many of our citizens who do not reckon with the fact that this country has a nuclear programme for about 40 years, one however, that has not gone beyond the setting up of research stations. Arising from these discussions, President Putin invited President Buhari to join him in taking the next step in the implementation of the project by commencing the construction of the nuclear power plant.

    “The two Presidents also addressed issues in education and agriculture. Russia said she would give additional scholarships. There are currently 100 Nigerian students studying under her scholarship and so far, 797 students from Nigeria have benefited from scholarships for training in Russia in various academic fields.

    “On agriculture, Russia agreed to support Nigeria in laying a solid foundation for food security. This will partly come through raw materials (phosphate) supply for President Buhari’s very impactful Presidential Fertilizer Initiative that has seen the reopening of dozens of blending plants and the return to work of thousands of employees.

    “Russia, now the world’s largest producer of wheat according to President Putin, will work with Nigeria in growing wheat to meet domestic and market needs.

    “This is in response to President Buhari who made a request to Putin, that ‘we seek your Government’s support especially in the area of wheat production.

    “‘Today, Nigeria produces less than one hundred thousand metric tons of wheat locally while our imports are projected to exceed five million tons in 2020. We therefore need your support to bridge the deficit which will create jobs and save our foreign exchange for other important areas like security, defence and infrastructure.’

    “The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, with President Buhari pointedly asking for Russia’s support for Nigeria’s aspiration to assume a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, in the envisaged reform of the UN.

    “Realizing that the relationship between our two countries had suffered the loss of the momentum characteristic of the Soviet era, President Buhari said ‘to move forward, may I suggest that our countries organize the fifth Joint Commission meeting to review and ratify all the agreements (about 40) contained in the Inter-governmental Nigeria-Russia Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Protocol of November 11, 2016,’ to which his Russian counterpart agreed.

    “For the African continent that been looked at as a potential bright spot in the world economy for a long time, the flurry of summits between the leaders of the major economies of the world and the Heads of African states and government is a clear indication of Africa coming of age.

    “For Nigeria and President Buhari in particular, the Russia-Africa Summit had served the desire the two countries to diversify and further strengthen the bonds of our robust bilateral relations. A solid foundation has indeed been laid for the promotion of the mutually beneficial cooperation between both nations.