Europe

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/: The coronavirus situation is rather serious in almost all regions of Russia, says Alexander Gorelov, Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). 

"Currently, the situation is rather serious in almost all regions of the Russian Federation," he said.

Gorelov explained that his conclusions are based on the coronavirus spread index, which is currently above 1.

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/: Bad weather, technical failure or a pilot error are the likely causes of the An-26 passenger plane crash on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said at a meeting of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with the government on Wednesday.

"A technical commission has been set up to investigate the incident. Unfavorable weather conditions, technical failure and pilot error are being considered as the three main causes of the crash," the transport minister said.

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/: Estonian Consul in St. Petersburg Mart Lyatte must leave Russia within 48 hours, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday in a quote on the ministry’s website.

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/: Moscow and Washington are in contact on cybersecurity issues following the June summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"Certain contacts have taken place based on the agreements reached in Geneva," he said. Peskov pointed out that "the launch of a mechanism for cybersecurity consultations was announced" after the Putin-Biden summit.

GENEVA, July 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization’s global appeal for funding for coronavirus vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and equipment is still $16.8-billion short — almost half its total needs, the WHO said.

   The funding shortfall comes amid a widening gap between rich and poor nations in their ability to fight the pandemic, with access to vaccines woefully uneven.

   WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sounding an alarm on the gap in access to resources, warned that the pandemic remained in a “very dangerous phase” more than 18 months in.

LONDON, July 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Oil prices hardly moved at the start of the week, as a cautious market eyes stalling talks between the major oil-producing nations on future production policy.

A barrel (159 litres) of North Sea Brent cost 76.18 dollars on Monday morning, about the same as on Friday. The price for a barrel of the US variety West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was – also hardly changed – 75.20 dollars.

07 July 2021; MEMO: Italy has loosened restrictions on arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported government sources saying yesterday, in a move aimed at easing diplomatic tensions with the two Gulf states.

Italy halted the sale of thousands of missiles to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in January, citing at the time Rome's commitment to restoring peace in war-ravaged Yemen and protecting human rights.

07 July 2021; MEMO: Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, the UN atomic watchdog said yesterday, a move that could help it develop a nuclear weapon and that three European powers said threatened talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reports.

GENEVA, July 7 (Reuters) - The United Nations top human rights official called on ASEAN countries on Wednesday to launch a political dialogue with the military junta and the democratically-elected leadership in Myanmar, with support from the international community.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc agreed a five-point consensus in April, "but unfortunately the Myanmar military leadership have shown little sign of abiding by it", Michelle Bachelet told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

07 July 2021; MEMO: There has been a huge backlash against the UK's proposed anti-immigration bill which grants asylum seekers different rights based on whether they arrived in the country legally or illegally, making it harder for the latter to have their applications accepted.

The Nationality and Borders Bill, published yesterday, has been described by the Home Secretary Priti Patel as "the biggest overhaul of the UK's asylum system in decades."