Russia

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: The World Health Organization (WHO) is not perfect, however, it fulfils its role rather well, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Bolshaya Igra ("Big Game") program on Russia’s Channel One.

"I think that the WHO fulfils its role rather well in accordance with its charter, acting as a managing and coordinating body in the sphere of healthcare. Yes, it’s not perfect. Nobody’s perfect, a quote from the Hollywood film ‘Some Like It Hot’" says," Lavrov noted.

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: Several countries support the United States and blame China for the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Bolshaya Igra ("Big Game") program on Russia’s Channel One.

According to him, the trends that have manifested globally for the last couple of decades, "have significantly accelerated and escalated" during the pandemic.

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: The Russian government is developing measures to support the air transportation sector, including airline subsidies, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"Indeed, it will also include subsidies to companies. Expenses are being analyzed, measures are being worked out," he said.

Reshetnikov emphasized that this issue is mainly a responsibility of the Russian Transport Ministry. "But at the same time, we are assisting in evaluating these decisions," he added.

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: The UN Security Council permanent members (Russia, the UK, China, the US, France) summit dedicated to a wide range of global stability issues may take place this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Bolshaya Igra ("Big Game") program on Russia’s Channel One.

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: Six people have been injured in the crash landing of the Mi-26 helicopter on the Yamal Peninsula on Saturday, the press service of the Ural Transport Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee informed TASS.

"According to preliminary data, six people have been injured," the press service stated.

Earlier, a source in the emergency services informed TASS that the crash could have taken place due to unfavorable weather conditions.

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/: Russia has documented 5,966 cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, with the total number of people infected reaching 74,588, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Saturday.

The growth rate does not surpass 10% for the fourth day running.

MOSCOW (AP) — An unmanned Russian cargo capsule docked with the International Space Station, bringing more than 2 tons of supplies to the three-person crew.

The Progress spacecraft docked at 0512 GMT Saturday, about 3 1/2 hours after blasting off from Russia’s Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan.

The ship carried fuel, water, food, medicine and other supplies.

There are three astronauts aboard the space station: Russia’s Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, and Chris Cassidy of the United States.

MOSCOW, April 24./TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov says President Vladimir Putin stays in constant touch with the regional leadership regarding the coronavirus situation. The deployment of additional hospital beds depends on the changing circumstances that unfold, he said.

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/: The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office demands to block access to the publications and the websites of the US-based non-governmental organization Project Harmony, which is considered undesirable in the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor General’s Office informed TASS.

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has launched a project to diagnose and detect pneumonia, including that caused by the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, using CT scans combined with the Russian-UAE artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed in partnership between Group 42 (G42), UAE’s leading technology company, RDIF and Medscan Group, Russia's network of medical centers, the Fund said in a statement on Friday.