Russia

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/: The Russian ruble strengthened 6.1% against the US dollar and 4.5% against the euro in May, according to Moscow Stock Exchange (MSE) data.

Dollar traded at 70.14 rubles on MSE, euro - at 77.93 rubles.

This is the second consecutive month of the Russian national currency’s growth following the losses, caused by the economic downturn in March. However, in January-May, the Russian ruble weakened 8.8% against the US dollar and 9% against euro.

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/: The unrest in Minnesota demonstrates that serious human rights problems have accumulated in the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

"This incident is not the first in the string of incidents exposing lawlessness and unjustified violence by ‘guardians of law and order’ in the United States," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. "Such high-profile crimes are being committed by US police officers too often. The US has evidently accumulated endemic problems in the human rights sphere."

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/: Washington dealt a blow to the international framework for cooperation in healthcare at the moment when the world needed to join forces, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Friday.

The comment was made following US President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate his country’s ties with the World Health Organization (WHO).

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/: The residence permit of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is staying in Russia, has been automatically extended until July 15 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s measures to curb the infection, a law enforcement source told TASS.

Snowden’s residence permit expired on April 30. He submitted all documents for its extension in mid-March. In late March, the Russian Interior Ministry decided to automatically extend residence permits for all holders.

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia rose by 8,952 to 396,575 in the past 24 hours, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Saturday.

That said, the total number of cases has increased by 2.3%. At the same time, the number of coronavirus recoveries has risen by 8,212 (5.1%) to 167,469.

30 May 2020; MEMO: Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed on Friday two ministries to hold talks on getting additional property in Syria, Anadolu Agency reports.

MOSCOW, May 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia reported a record increase of 232 coronavirus deaths on Friday as Moscow authorities released mortality figures to dispel allegations they were being manipulated.

Health officials reported a total of 4,374 deaths and 387,623 cases, the third-highest number of infections in the world after the United States and Brazil.

New infections were below 9,000 for the sixth day in a row at 8,572 cases, while a total of 159,257 people have recovered, according to an official tally.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: The ceasefire in Libya, declared in January 2020, failed completely, and prolongation of the crisis threatens catastrophic consequences to the country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: The US administration’s policy to exit international treaties will be embraced by other countries, Valdai Discussion Club Research Director Fyodor Lukyanov told the first online session of the Primakov Readings forum centered on the post-COVID world.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus reproduction rate dropped by 0.02 to 0.95 in the past 24 hours, according to a TASS analysis based on data from the national anti-coronavirus crisis center.

Moscow’s coronavirus reproduction rate did not change and remains at 0.83. Russia’s coronavirus reproduction rate has remained at or below 1 for the past 16 days.