Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — Protesters in Kazakhstan’s largest city stormed the presidential residence and the mayor’s office on Wednesday and set both buildings on fire, according to new reports, as demonstrations sparked by a rise in fuel prices in the Central Asian nation escalated sharply.

Police fired on some protesters at the presidential palace before fleeing. They have clashed repeatedly with demonstrators in recent days, deploying water cannons in the freezing weather, tear gas and concussion grenades.

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/: By declaring its plans to hold an extraordinary virtual conference of foreign ministers ahead of the NATO-Russia Council’s meeting, the North Atlantic Alliance is trying to increase tensions around the internal Ukrainian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/: Serbia’s security in many respects relies on Russia’s response to threats to that country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday, commenting on the statement of Adm. Robert Burke, Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples/Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, about that country’s defense capabilities.

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 cases rose by 15,903 in the past 24 hours to 10,570,212, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Tuesday.

In relative terms, the COVID-19 daily incidence surged by 0.15%.

In particular, over the past day, some 1,297 cases of the infection were detected in St. Petersburg, as many as 974 COVID-19 cases were registered in the Moscow Region, some 431 cases - in the Chelyabinsk Region, 428 cases - in the Krasnodar Region, 421 cases - in the Sverdlovsk Region.

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/: Crew of a cargo ship in the Sea of Okhotsk has sent a distress signal for evacuation due to ice formation, which could damage its hull, the Emergencies Ministry’s press service told TASS on Tuesday.

"At 13:10 Moscow Time as a result of ice formation and a threat of damage to the Grigory Lovtsov cargo ship’s hull a distress signal for the crew’s evacuation has been sent," the ministry said. The crew consists of eight people, no one has been hurt.

MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/: Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia grew by 16,343 in the past day to 10,554,309, the federal anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Monday.

Russia registered a record low increase in daily coronavirus cases (0.16%) since June 17, 2021, the latest data show.

In particular, 1,341 coronavirus cases were registered in the past 24 hours in St. Petersburg, 1,335 in Moscow, 1,180 in the Moscow Region, 445 in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk Regions each and 432 in the Krasnodar Region, the crisis center reported.

MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/: Russian Presidential Administration Deputy Head Dmitry Kozak will hold talks with Normandy format German and French counterparts in Moscow on January 6, a source in the Kremlin administration told TASS on Monday.

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - China, Russia, Britain, the United States and France have agreed that a further spread of nuclear arms and a nuclear war should be avoided, according to a joint statement by the five nuclear powers published by the Kremlin on Monday.

It said that the five countries - which are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - consider it their primary responsibility to avoid war between the nuclear states and to reduce strategic risks, while aiming to work with all countries to create an atmosphere of security.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, December 31. /TASS/: In his New Year address to the Russians President Vladimir Putin wished everyone good health in 2022. According to the head of state, this is the main wish and success in various fields will follow.

"In a few seconds, the New Year will come, and in many families, including our compatriots outside Russia, the traditional words will sound:" Happy New Year!" he said.

Russians pronounce these simple words with special feeling because they are passed down from generation to generation, the President said.

MOSCOW, December 31: Gas prices in Europe dropped below $800 per 1,000 cubic meters during the trading session for the first time since November, according to ICE data.

February futures prices at the TTF hub in the Netherlands plunged to $796 per 1,000 cubic meters or 68 euro per MWh.

Since the beginning the trading session the price of gas decreased by more than 22%. In comparison with the all-time high achieved last week the price of gas plummeted almost threefold.