Russia

MOSCOW, June 12. /TASS/: The Russian Academy of Sciences' Council for Space Research has suggested to Russia's Roscomos space corporation to start implementing the Venera-D (Venus-D) project and finance the first stages of development works, the council's co-chair Lev Zeleny told TASS on Wednesday.

"The corresponding request was sent to Roscosmos. Roscosmos is working on it," Zeleny said.

TASS has not yet managed to obtain a comment from Roscosmos.

12 June 2019; MEMO: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a non-aggression pact between Iran and its Arab neighbours would be “useful,” Anadolu reported on Tuesday. Lavrov was apparently responding to a proposal by his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, put forward during his visit to Iraq last month.

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier will lead the US delegation to the launch of the Soyuz MS-13 manned spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 20, the press service of Russia's Roscosmos space corporation told TASS on Tuesday.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, June 11. /TASS/: An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude has rocked the Commander Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Kamchatka department of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said on Tuesday.

"The epicenter of the earthquake registered overnight to Tuesday, lay in the Pacific Ocean at the depth of 50km to the south-east of the Medny Island (Commander Islands). The epicenter lay at the depth of 17.8 km under the seabed. The magnitude was estimated at 5.1," the service said.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and Iranian Foreign Ministry's senior advisor for political issues Ali Asgar Haji have discussed several international issues, including launching the Syrian constitutional committee, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/: A Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled on Monday to intercept US and Swedish reconnaissance planes near Russia’s border over the Baltic Sea where NATO is holding drills, and escorted the jets to prevent the violation of Russia’s state border, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"On June 10, Russia airspace control means over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea detected two air targets approaching Russia’s state border. A Su-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Fleet’s Air Defense Forces was scrambled to intercept the targets," the statement said.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Moscow is concerned over mounting confrontation globally, and furthermore Washington’s steps endanger international security, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov told the Primakov Readings international forum.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Sanctions against Russia wreak havoc in international affairs, even a number of the European Union member states are opposing them, but "hesitating" to say it in Brussels, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told the Primakov Readings international forum of experts, diplomats and decision-makers.

MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/: Russia has recently seen some signals from the US on the readiness to improve dialogue, in particular at the high level, but all of this should be backed by specific actions, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said, speaking at the Primakov Reading Forum.

"Some signals - or, let’s say, gestures - could be seen from the [US] administration recently regarding the improvement of dialogue in some areas, including the high-level dialogue. It is desirable that these signals should be backed by specific actions," the presidential aide said.

MOSCOW (AP) — Preliminary results show an ally of Kazakhstan’s former president has won the presidential election.

The Central Election Commission in this Central Asian country said Monday that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won nearly 71 percent of the vote with all the ballots counted.