Europe

MOSCOW (AP) — It’s Friday night in Moscow, and popular bars and restaurants in the city center are packed. No one except the staff is wearing a mask or bothers to keep their distance. There is little indication at all that Russia is being swept by a resurgence of coronavirus infections.

“I believe that everyone will have the disease eventually,” says Dr. Alexandra Yerofeyeva, an internal medicine specialist at an insurance company, while sipping a cocktail at The Bix bar in Moscow. She adds cheerfully: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/: The United States is deliberately trying to distort the reasons for Russia’s refusal of Washington's proposals on extending the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in an interview with Channel One on Saturday.

"It is sad that the US is trying to turn everything upside down, trying to make it seem as if Russia wants to destroy everything," he said.

BRUSSELS, October 17. /TASS/: Relations between Russia and the European Union have reached their lowest level in recent years after sanctions in connection with the incident with opposition blogger Alexey Navalny, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told reporters on Saturday.

"This decision [of the Council of the EU] confirmed our worst fears that relations between Russia and the EU will be brought to their lowest level in recent years," he said, noting that currently there is "little left" of Russia’s trust in the EU.

BERLIN, October 17. /TASS/: The Nord Stream 2 project will be completed, the only question that arises is when exactly this will happen, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affair Heiko Maas said in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

"I proceed from the assumption that Nord Stream 2 will be completed. The question is when [this will happen]," he said. Referring to criticism of the project from Washington, Maas said: "We make decisions about our energy policy and energy supply here - in Europe."

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/: The number of coronavirus cases in Russia increased by 14,922 over the past day against 15,150 a day before, the federal operational headquarters for the fight against the new infection told reporters on Saturday.

In relative terms, the growth for the second day in a row is 1.1%.

In total, 1,384,235 people were infected in Russia.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A man living in the same Vatican residence as Pope Francis has tested positive for COVID-19 and gone into isolation, the Vatican said on Saturday.

The man, who was not identified and did not have symptoms of the illness, left the Santa Marta residence and went into isolation along with others with whom he had had direct contact, a statement said.

Someone else living in the residence - which has about 130 rooms and suites - tested positive for the coronavirus when the pandemic hit Italy in March.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd have received renewed approval to conduct late-stage clinical trials in India of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, the sovereign wealth fund said on Saturday.

Large-scale trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India were first announced and then knocked back by Indian regulators, who said the scale of Phase I and II trials conducted in Russia earlier this year was too small, requesting that they be repeated.

LISBON (Reuters) - A divided world has failed to rise to the challenge of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday and warned concerted action was needed to prevent millions of people being pushed into poverty and hunger.

The former Portuguese prime minister said far more could have been done if countries had worked together to combat the disease, which has killed more than one million people.

LONDON (Reuters) - A professor who has advised the British government on its COVID-19 testing programme said on Saturday a short nationwide lockdown was needed due to “eye-watering” levels of infection in parts of England.

As a second wave of infections gathers pace, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has favoured local restrictions in areas where cases are surging - hoping to shield the economy by allowing the least-affected regions to remain open.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed energy markets and the implementation of agreements by the oil producers group known as OPEC+, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.

“Both sides have reiterated their willingness to continue close coordination in this area in order to maintain stability on the global energy market,” it said.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in combating the spread of coronavirus infections and the prospect of using the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Saudi Arabia.