Russia

18 August 2019; AFP: New machines popping up in Russian shopping centres seem innocuous enough -- users insert their passport and receive a small loan in a matter of minutes.

But the devices, which dispense credit in Saint Petersburg malls at a sky-high annual rate of 365 percent, are another sign of a credit boom that has authorities worried.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will not deploy new missiles as long as the United States shows similar restraint in Europe and Asia, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday, after Washington’s withdrawal from a Soviet-era arms pact.

The United States formally left the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia earlier this month after accusing Moscow of violating the treaty and deploying one banned type of missile, allegations the Kremlin denies.

Russia has also pulled out of the deal, but Shoigu said it had no plans to deploy new missiles.

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS /: The authenticity of the online transcript of the conversation between the crew of the Airbus A321 aircraft, which made an emergency landing on August 15 in the Moscow region, was confirmed at the Gromov Flight Research Institute, several sources confirmed it for TASS on Saturday.

"The conversations are authentic," said a TASS source at the institute that services and owns the runway at Zhukovsky Airport.

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/: Twenty-two people, including eight kids, have been rushed to hospital with injuries sustained in a passenger bus crash in the Russian city of Perm, Perm Region governor Maxim Reshetnikov told TASS.

"Now 22 people are those who are receiving medical treatment," he said.

According to him, eight people were among those who were injured, they were all taken to hospital.

A TASS source in the law enforcement agencies said that the bus had ploughed into a construction shop’s wall.

MOSCOW, August 17. / TASS /: The approved Russian Communist Party rally for fair and transparent elections began on Sakharov Avenue in Moscow on Saturday.

The main theme of the rally is "For fair and transparent elections! For the rule of the law and citizen's social rights," TASS correspondent reported from the event.

The leader of the Communists, Gennady Zyuganov, and other representatives of the Communist Party’s leadership, State Duma deputies, politicians, and public figures are taking part in the rally.

MOSCOW, August 17. / TASS /: The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) is still analyzing the data from the flight recorders of the A321 aircraft, which belly-landed on August 15 in the Moscow suburbs, a source in the department told TASS on Saturday.

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/: Firefighters have extinguished 49 wildfires in Russian regions in the last 24 hours, the Aerial Forest Protection Service said on Friday.

"On 15 August 2019, 49 wildfires were extinguished in Russia on the territory of 21,934 hectares," the service said. "As of 12am on 16 August 2019, 148 wildfires were registered in Russia on the territory of 244,556 hectares, with active firefighting efforts underway," the service added.

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov has discussed ways to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the implementation of trilateral projects with the North Korean diplomats during his visit to Pyongyang, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following Morgulov’s consultations with North Korean’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Vice Foreign Minister Im Chon-il.

YEKATERINBURG, August 16. /TASS/: The Ural Airlines’ belly-landed Airbus A321 plane was fully operational prior to takeoff, CEO of the airline Sergey Skuratov told TASS on Friday.

"We have a great maintenance center, we control every move of planes, therefore, we have no doubt it was fully operational. Although, they will definitely study it in the airline," he said.

The Ural Airlines will give a special bonus to the crew of the Airbus A321 plane.

SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/: The United States is fully aware that China will not engage in the negotiating process on a new arms control system, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Territoriya Smyslov (Territory of Meanings) National Education Youth Forum on Thursday.