Europe

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/: There is no reason for Russia to remain a party to the Open Skies Treaty after the US withdrawal since this gives Washington an advantage in obtaining data on Russia’s Armed Forces, Deputy Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics National Research University and expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club Dmitry Suslov told TASS.

Earlier AFP reported that US President Donald Trump had announced that the US would leave the Open Skies Treaty.

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/: The beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 in Russia is possible after it peaks in other countries. According to the experts questioned by TASS, it could be avoided by mass vaccination and retention of restrictive measures.

MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/: In the past 24 hours, 8,894 people contracted the COVID-19 infection in Russia, the coronavirus prevention operational headquarters told journalists Friday, adding that this figure has stayed below 10,000 for seven days already.

The total case count in Russia reached 326,448.

The daily growth rate reduced from 2.9% to 2.8% a day ago, the HQ said, adding that 3751 patients or 42.2% show no symptoms.

22 May 2020; AFP: Russia's economy is forecast to shrink by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, while yearly GDP will fall by five percent, economy minister Maksim Reshetnikov said on Thursday.

"The main factor of the GDP decrease this year is the internal restrictions" on the economy to stem the coronavirus pandemic, which would impact the second quarter the most, he told Russian news agencies.

LONDON (Reuters) - George Soros, the billionaire financier, has cautioned that the European Union’s survival was threatened by the novel coronavirus unless it could issue perpetual bonds or “consols” to help weak members such as Italy.

“If the EU is unable to consider it now, it may not be able to survive the challenges it currently confronts,” Soros said in a transcript of a question-and-answer session emailed to reporters. “This is not a theoretical possibility; it may be the tragic reality.”

GENEVA (Reuters) - Coronavirus is believed to be spreading throughout Yemen, where the health care system “has in effect collapsed”, the United Nations said on Friday, appealing for urgent funding.

Referring to aid agencies, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told a Geneva briefing: “We hear from many of them that Yemen is really on the brink right now. The situation is extremely alarming, they are talking about that the health system has in effect collapsed.”

LONDON (Reuters) - It should be for British schools to decide when to reopen following nationwide closures to stem the spread of the coronavirus and some have the confidence to do so, a senior health official said on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government wants schools in England to reopen for some pupils from June 1 but the plans have been criticised by teaching unions and many local authorities say they will not be reopening institutions in their areas.

LONDON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Another 338 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 36,042, the Department of Health and Social Care said Thursday.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Thursday morning, 250,908 people in Britain have tested positive, said the department.

MOSCOW, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been taken to hospital with suspected coronavirus, Russian media report.

He was flown to Moscow on Wednesday for treatment after developing flu-like symptoms, said Interfax news agency quoting a source.

“He’s in hospital in Moscow,” another source told the Ria Novosti agency.

The authoritarian leader – who previously fought against Moscow as a Chechen nationalist – is now a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ROME, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy’s death toll from the novel coronavirus in March and April could be nearly 19,000 higher than the official figure of 32,000, the national social security agency said.

The Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS), the largest social security and welfare institute in Italy, said in a new study that the official death figures were not “reliable”.