Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained why the Russian delegation at the negotiations with Ukraine was again headed by Vladimir Putin’s assistant Vladimir Medinsky. It’s all about issues “that concern territories,” Interfax reports . “In Geneva they will discuss a wider range of issues, which, in particular, relate to territories and which are related to the requirements that we have. Here the presence of the chief negotiator, that is, Medinsky, is already necessary,” Peskov explained.

Regulators have historically been bad at predicting impending financial crises. Forecasting has always been more of an art than a science, but now the situation is further complicated by the fact that analysts cannot get information from areas where tension can accumulate, Bloomberg reports . “We know that private lending firms find riskier borrowers. Those that banks have refused or that have not previously received bank financing, and lend to them.

The star of the films “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now” Robert Duvall died at the age of 95 at his ranch home in Virginia, USA. His wife Luciana Duval announced the death of the iconic actor. “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, dear friend and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort. To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, director and storyteller. To me, he was just everything,” Mrs.

21-year-old blogger from the Moscow region, Marat Nikandrov, decided “for fun” to fill out a special form on the website of the Ministry of Justice to be included in the register of foreign agents. Thus, the young man wanted to arrange a “test drive of the system.” Today a criminal case was opened against him, reports Podem. “There are no jokes left. It's all so serious.

The Italian Consulate in Moscow has significantly accelerated the deadline for issuing visas to Russians, the “Fly Away” and “Visas from Home” telegram channels reported, citing readers. This year, Russian citizens received visas twice as often: if previously the processing time for applications was about two months, now it has been reduced to one or even several weeks, channel subscribers said.

The online bank Revolut became interested in old transfers of Russians living in the European Union. Transactions that were already previously approved, one or two years ago, came under inspection, Oninvest reports . Bank representatives are trying to find out the origin of the funds. The publication notes that Revolut wants to understand whether their bank was a transit link between Russia and the EU. Against the backdrop of new checks, some clients are even faced with account blocking.

American blogger and wrestler Logan Paul put up for auction Pikachu Illustrator, one of the rarest cards from the Pokemon universe. The final cost of the card turned out to be a record, according to the Guinness Book of Records website. The auction was conducted online by Goldin Auctions. The Pikachu Illustrator card was presented to potential buyers as the most famous, valuable and rare of the entire Pokemon card collection in existence.

Apple Corporation invited media representatives to the event, which will be held in New York, London and Shanghai on March 4 at 17:00 Moscow time. Bloomberg reported this. The invitation states that this is a "special Apple Experience event" but does not provide any details. The corporation’s website and social networks also do not mention the date of presentation of the new equipment.

For the first time in a year and a half, trading in the dollar-ruble currency pair has resumed on the Moscow Exchange. The exchange has found a way to circumvent the ban on direct payments in dollars through the American financial system, RBC Investments reports . The introduction of blocking sanctions by the United States against the Moscow Exchange and the National Clearing Center (NCC) actually meant the isolation and stop of dollar trading.

Russian oil producers may be forced to cut production due to problems with exports, said Reuters specialized columnist Ron Busso. He noted that Russian oil exports have slowed in recent months as US President Donald Trump has tightened sanctions and promised India a reduction in trade duties if the country reduces its purchases of Russian oil. The ban on imports of fuel made from Russian oil, introduced by the European Union in January, also had an impact.

The FSB will be able to block communications in Russia or a specific region, even if there is no security threat. This follows from the amendments to the Law “On Communications”, to which the Agency drew attention. It follows from the document that the conditions for such blockings will be set by Vladimir Putin. Last week, on February 13, a version of the bill with amendments prepared for the second reading was uploaded to the State Duma database.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) is faced with a staff shortage due to low salaries. They are going to fill the shortage of workers at the expense of conscripts, head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov said in a conversation with Kommersant. “A separate issue is the involvement of conscripted military personnel to staff the response units of the Federal Fire Service.

A former British police officer was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for controlling and manipulating his partner and unauthorized access to police bases. The Telegraph reports this. A court heard that 65-year-old former detective Michael Harvey faked cancer, lied about being sexually abused as a child and threatened suicide to keep the woman in the relationship.

Regular brushing of teeth and visits to the dentist can reduce the risk of developing more than 50 diseases. This was stated by scientists at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Phoenix, The Telegraph reports . Experts say poor oral health is linked to arthritis, Parkinson's disease and dementia. Bacteria in the mouth, research shows, can cause inflammation and infections in different parts of the body.

In the Krasnogorsk district court of the city of Kamensk-Uralsky, Sverdlovsk region, the trial of the murder of seven people, committed on the night of 1992-1993, is being completed. This was reported by the joint press service of the regional courts. The state prosecution demanded that the defendant Viktor Petrichenko be sentenced to 14 years and 11 months in a maximum security colony. The prosecutor's office also asked to satisfy the victim's civil claim in the amount of ten million rubles.