Sergei Zuev, rector of the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Science (known as Shaninka), was arrested Tuesday after a 30-hour interrogation by police. Shaninka is one of just two successful, independent universities in Russia and the arrest sent a tremor of fear through the country’s academic community.

Amid intensifying discussions about climate change, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia will aim for carbon neutrality by 2060. This is the most ambitious official target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ever announced in Russia. Speaking at the plenary session of Russian Energy Week in Moscow, Putin told attendees that Russia will “strive for carbon neutrality of its economy,” and that this should be achieved by 2060.

Former parliamentary deputy Natalia Poklonskaya was appointed as Russia’s ambassador to Cape Verde on Wednesday. The posting is a significant step down — dubbed ‘exile with honor’ by some media outlets — for a woman who shot to fame for her zealotry as a prosecutor following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The launch of the first ETF on Bitcoin in the United States launched a new cryptocurrency rally The long -expected launch of the first exchange investment fund (ETF) for Bitcoin became the main driver of cryptocurrency growth along with inflation. Bitcoin again costs above $ 60,000 - as in April, and he is again predicted by further rally.

In St. Petersburg, QR codes have been introduced - without presenting them, visiting public places in the city will be prohibited. In addition, the authorities ordered all elderly unvaccinated employees to telecommute.

Apple held a new presentation of its gadgets. The company introduced new AirPods 3 headphones, as well as updated MacBook Pro laptops with a notch, like the latest generations of iPhone. The new generation AirPods 3 look like AirPods Pro, but without the rubber grips. According to the promises of the manufacturer, the devices are protected from sweat and moisture. In addition, the new model will have an equalizer that will adjust the sound of music for each user individually.

The long-awaited launch of an exchange-traded investment fund (ETF) for bitcoin in recent days has become the main driver of cryptocurrency growth along with inflation. Bitcoin is again above $60 thousand, as in April, and it is again predicted to rally further. What's happening At the end of last week, the SEC approved the Bitcoin ETF for the first time, satisfying the application of the ProShares investment fund (more than $50 billion under management).

Passengers on Moscow public transport will be fined for wearing a mask lowered, told TASS. Vladislav Sultanov, head of the State Institution "Organizer of Transportation", According to him, now almost all passengers enter the subway wearing masks, but after passing the turnstiles and boarding the train, they put them on their chins or even take them off. “The mask protects when worn correctly - it completely covers the nose and mouth.

The activities of the unregistered inter-regional association "Men's State" were recognized by the court as extremist. Now his work is banned in Russia. The decision to ban the "Men's State" was made by the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court. The regional prosecutor's office filed a corresponding lawsuit in early October. The Nizhny Novgorod prosecutor's office listed the founder of the "Men's State" Vladislav Pozdnyakov, as well as Igor Nosov and Dmitry Gubanov as defendants.

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who became the first African American in US history under Bush Jr., has died at the age of 84. The cause of death was complications after suffering COVID-19 - despite the fact that Powell was fully vaccinated. It was Powell's leadership in several Republican administrations that largely shaped American foreign policy in the early years of the 21st century, writes CNN.

Russia has been suspending the permanent mission to NATO since November, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov . In early October, the leadership of the alliance decided to halve the Russian mission, depriving eight diplomats of accreditation and abolishing two more positions. In addition to the representation, the information bureau and the military mission of NATO in Moscow cease their activities. Contacts will be maintained through the Russian ambassador to Belgium, Lavrov said.

The Russian IT company Softline (software and information security) can be valued at almost $2 billion during an IPO, Bloomberg wrote , citing a statement from the company. In total, the company can attract about $400 million in investments. Founded by Russian businessman Igor Borovikov, Softline IT Corporation has set a price range for its initial public offering in London and Moscow at $7.50 to $10.50 per share.

The Russian authorities do not plan to change the personal income tax (PIT) in the next three years, said Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, speaking at the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes. “We are always very careful about changing the procedure for taxation in terms of personal income tax, and for the next three years, for which we are considering the budget, we do not plan any changes in this part,” he said (quoted by RIA Novosti ) .

Anti-virus vaccine makers BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna will continue to dominate the market next year, the Financial Times writes , citing analysts at Airfinity, who are expected to generate more than $90 billion in cumulative sales. Airfinity's analyst forecast suggests that two injectable RNA vaccine manufacturers will control three-quarters of the non-Chinese COVID-19 vaccine market in 2022.

The number of clients of a single Yandex.Plus subscription, which includes multimedia, doubled over the year, to 10 million people, Andrei Gevak, head of the service, told Kommersant. But next year, analysts predict a slowdown in audience growth among all market participants. When calculating Yandex.Plus, all users were taken into account, including those with a trial period or as part of a group. There are about 25% of them - respectively, 75% of customers pay regularly.