Stories from Russia

Russia's Rospotrebnadzor has banned the sale of Baikal Pearl bottled water, citing potentially unsafe production. The ban affects 0.53-liter glass bottles produced on August 22, 2025, with an expiration date of August 28, 2027. The regulator previously blocked nearly 1.5 million bottles of Jer Mug mineral water in late April due to excessive bicarbonate and oxide levels. Retail and online sales of the affected Baikal Pearl batch are prohibited. This event has been reported by multiple sources. The reason for the ban was not immediately specified. No further information regarding the ban was provided. This action affects the distribution of the bottled water product within Russia. The 'Chestny Znak' system operator blocked the sale of 112,000 bottles of 'Baikal Pearl' water. The action was taken following instructions from the Russian consumer watchdog.

President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for the creation of a new art gallery. The project involves an artist and a gallery owner who expressed gratitude for the support. The gallery is expected to begin operations on Wednesday, coinciding with an art biennale.

A building in a wealthy district of Moscow near the Kremlin sustained damage to its upper floors. Debris from the tower fell onto parked cars adjacent to the building. No injuries were reported following the incident.

President Vladimir Putin appointed Fyodor Shchukin as the acting head of Daghestan. The appointment follows a meeting between the Russian leader and Dagestani representatives on Thursday. The current powers of the acting head of the region are set to expire in September. Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of General Aung San, is married to British oriental scholar Michael Aris and has two sons. President Vladimir Putin has removed Sergey Melekov from his position as the head of the Republic of Dagestan. Fedor Shchukin, the former chairman of the Supreme Court of Dagestan, has been appointed as the acting head according to a presidential decree. The leadership change follows a meeting where Putin supported Artyom Zdunov's decision to participate in the upcoming regional elections in autumn.

Klingradsky Avtotor has assembled the first batch of Dong Feng trucks. The specific number of trucks in the batch was not disclosed. This event was also reported by other stations. This assembly was reported by multiple sources.

Klingradsky Avtotor has assembled its first batch of approximately 200 Dong Feng Z55 medium-duty trucks.

A member of the hip-hop band 3H Company has released his first collection of poetry. The book features a compilation of his texts spanning the last 20 years. The artist left his home in St. Petersburg following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Lukoil shares dropped 5.3 percent at the market opening today. The decline was driven by a dominant sell-off in the company's stock. Other market movements included a 1.5 percent decrease for RusAl and a 3.10 percent drop for Polyus. The MOEX Index also saw a decrease of 0.5 percent. Total deposits in the country stand at 3.44 trillion rubles, while core account balances are 6.74 trillion rubles. Lukoil shares fell 5.5% following the dividend cutoff. In Moscow and Khimki, the number of transactions increased by nearly 55%. Demand in the Moscow and Leningrad regions saw a fivefold increase.

A film titled "The Last Question Mark? Master" was screened in Cherkessk on May 3 to mark the Day of the Revival of the Karachay People.

Human infection with hantavirus occurs mainly through contact with rodents that act as natural carriers. According to Rospotrebnadzor, transmission happens via inhalation of aerosols containing the virus from infected animal excrement and saliva, particularly in enclosed spaces. There is currently no vaccine for hantavirus. Experts state that human transmission of the hantavirus family is very complicated and difficult. The discussion occurred in the context of a cruise ship where three people died from the virus. The source noted that health system reliability is a concern for travelers. The World Health Organization admitted a scenario where antavirus can be transmitted between people. The statement follows observations regarding transmission risks among individuals on board vessels or transport. No specific number of cases or exact locations of outbreaks were provided in the report.