Russian President Vladimir Putin restored an award first introduced by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that’s designed to encourage women to have more children, The Moscow Times reported. The news comes as Russia’s population declines and its military suffers heavy losses in Ukraine. The title will be awarded to women who give birth to 10 or more children.
Russia has finally broken its silence on the current political turmoil in Pakistan, saying the United States sought to punish a “disobedient” Imran Khan. In a statement, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova lambasted “another attempt of shameless interference” by the United States in the internal affairs of Pakistan for its own selfish purposes.
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been seized by Russian military forces, after a fire sparked by overnight shelling burned for several hours at the largest facility of its kind in Europe. The blaze, located in a training building on the site’s perimeter, started early on Friday and was later extinguished. However, it was confirmed there had been no release of radiation.
As Europe slowly eases border restrictions, external borders opening from July 1 will not be allowing travelers from Pakistan, US, Russia, Brazil and Qatar. Some 47 countries are on the draft list of acceptable countries; travellers from 54 nations are likely still to be barred. The criteria are based on the “epidemiological situation and the response to COVID-19 in the third country”.
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to a joint venture to enhance the cooperation for the upgradation and modernisation of Pakistan railways infrastructure. During a plenary session of the 6th Pak-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation here, the two sides resolved to increase volume of bilateral trade through enhanced business activities by their private sectors.
Cows in RusMoloko dairy farm, Russia wear specially designed VR headsets for improved milk productivity. The glasses offer sun-filled views of green grazing fields to help the cows relax which has a direct link to a cow’s milk-producing ability. After experts in the field of technology and dairy farming worked together to find a solution to the issue of milk production came up with perfect-fit VR goggles as a solution.
Russia along with its major internet providers is set to disconnect from the internet as part of the “sovereign internet” law that came into effect recently. This is due to the long-planned internet bill proposed by the Russian Parliament in 2018 that recently got approved. All internet service providers will be controlled by a single telecom entity called Roskomnadzor and will block all access to internet content that the Russian government deems a threat.
A mysterious explosion at a Russian weapons testing site earlier this month released various radioactive isotopes, creating a cloud of radioactive gases that swept across a nearby town. A Norwegian nuclear expert said that the isotopes – of strontium, barium, and lanthanum – were caused by a “nuclear chain reaction,” saying it was evidence that it “was a nuclear reactor that exploded.”
Thousands of people have attended the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by an explosion as Russia tested a new rocket engine, a tragedy that caused a large increase of radiation and raised questions about a secretive weapons programme. According to Russian government, radiation levels around the site in Severodvinsk were estimated up to 16 times higher than the norm.
A joint statement issued in Washington has revealed that United States, China and Russia have warmly welcomed Pakistan to a four-party consultation process aiming to bring peace to the war-torn region of Afghanistan after 18 years. The statement recognises Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process and justifies Islamabad’s view that any development in Afghanistan also impacts Pakistan.