Europe

VOSTOCHNY SPACEPORT /Amur Region/, December 16. /TASS/: Twenty launches of the Soyuz carrier rocket are planned for 2020, according to a video shared by state space corporation Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin at a press conference at the Vostochny cosmodrome on Monday.

"Twenty launches of the Soyuz carrier rocket," according to the video.

It was also noted in the video that the work on the construction of carriers is in full swing.

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Some 12,000 foreign malicious resources, which were used for cyber attacks against Russia, have been taken down this year, Deputy Director of the National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents Nikolai Murashov said during a press conference on Monday.

"In 2019, a successful effort was carried out to take down more than 12,000 foreign information resources used for inflicting damage to our country. Upon the requests of foreign partners, more than 7,000 such information resources were curbed on Russian soil," Murashov said.

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of congratulations to his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the occasion of Kazakhstan’s national holiday, Independence Day, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.

The Russian head of state pointed to "Kazakhstan’s accomplishments in the socio-economic, scientific, technical and many other areas, the country’s standing in the international arena and its constructive role in tackling topical regional and global issues."

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: The share of modern missile systems in the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) will reach 100% by 2024, RSVN Commander Colonel-General Sergey Karakaev told the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper.

"By 2024, the share of modern missile systems will reach 100%, meaning that the Strategic Missile Forces will cross the line after which they will no longer have any obsolete Soviet-produced missile systems," Karakaev said.

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russia's position on the global arms market is strengthening, despite intensified sanctions regime and unfair competition, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

"Exports of Russian arms and military equipment is growing: this year, items worth $13 bln were shipped. This is more than $2 bln more than the same period last year," he said. "Russia’s position on the global arms market is strengthening, despite intensified sanctions regime and unfair competition," Putin noted.

16 December 2019; AFP: Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil a new government Monday that wields a sweeping mandate to take Britain out of the European Union after years of acrimonious debate.

Johnson's simple promise to "get Brexit done" resonated in a snap election Thursday that became a re-run of Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices on Monday held near three-month highs, supported by last week’s announcement that an initial trade deal had been reached between the United States and China.

Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 rose 17 cents or 0.3% to $65.39 a barrel by 0940 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was up 10 cents or 0.2% to $60.17 a barrel.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Monday it had approved maritime transport support schemes in five EU countries - Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Poland and Sweden.

“The schemes encourage ship registration in Europe and contribute to the global competitiveness of the sector without unduly distorting competition,” the Commission said in a statement.

MADRID, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) came to an end on Sunday after an unprecedentedly long extension, as negotiators failed to reach an agreement on Article 6 of 2015 Paris Agreement about the details of the carbon market mechanisms.

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/: Social adaptation of Donbass defenders, the international community informing about the situation there and young people’s patriotic education topped the agenda of the fifth congress of the public organization Union of Donbass Volunteers held at the Zhukov hall of Moscow’s Victory Museum on Saturday.

Vladislav Surkov, an aide to the Russian president, attended the congress.