T-storm shuts down nuclear reactor in central Russia

T-storm shuts down nuclear reactor in central Russia

SARATOV, July 8 (RIA Novosti)

"A thunderstorm on the border of the Saratov and the Samara regions in late evening on July 7 damaged two power supply lines serving the fourth reactor at the Balakovskaya NPP, causing an automatic safety shutdown," the press service said in a statement.

Radiation levels around the NPP remain unchanged and the work of the fourth reactor will resume after the repairs on two damaged power lines have been done.

The Balakovskaya NPP has four modernized VVER-1000 nuclear reactors with power output of 1,000 MWt each.

Only two of them are currently operational as the first reactor was shut down for scheduled maintenance on June 8 for 60 days.

Natural disasters pose a real threat to nuclear power installations around the world. The recent double-disaster tragedy in Japan has confirmed the vulnerability of the NPP's with most sophisticated safety features.

July 08, 2011 11:43

Investigators request arrest in absentia of former first deputy prosecutor of Moscow region

MOSCOW. July 8 (Interfax) - The Investigations Committee has asked the court to arrest in absentia Alexander Ignatenko, first deputy prosecutor of the Moscow region, Vladimir Markin from the Investigations Committee told Interfax on Friday.

Ignatenko is involved in a high-profile case involving illegal gambling businesses in the Moscow region. He is currently hiding from the investigators.

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02:02 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

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MINSK, July 8 (Itar-Tass) —— Belarussian police unofficially hinted that wanted Russian prosecutor Alexander Ignatenko was not in the republic and officially stated it had not received any requests from Russia to arrest him.

“Competent agencies of the Belarussian interior ministry have so far received no Russian request to find Ignatenko,” deputy spokesman of the ministry Viktor Novikov said.

Unofficially, police officers said the wanted former first deputy prosecutor of the Moscow region was unlikely in Belarus.

“It is possible to hide for a week or two only somewhere in a forest. But it is hardly possible for a former prosecutor who is used to live in comfort,” a police source said.

Ignatenko was placed on the international wanted list on charges of covering an illegal gambling business in Moscow region. Russian media reported he fled the country in May either to Belarus or Ukraine.

05:30 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

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TIRASPOL, July 8 (Itar-Tass) —— Police in the breakaway Dniester region of Moldova said on Thursday it uncovered an underground network providing services to foreign pedophiles.

“The scope of the phenomenon was rather impressing. Organizers of the criminal business looked for teenagers from problem families, rented apartments for clients and received fabulous profits,” the interior ministry said.

It said numerous minors confirmed a relationship, in particular, with a 46-year old German national. He did not confess but told investigators he was “nearly in love with the boys” who wanted to meet him themselves.

Nearly a third of able-bodied population left Moldova in search of work and police estimated over 100,000 children remained without parents. Pedophile scandals rocked the country several times. Last year a British national was detained and in August a US millionaire was sentenced in the United States.

08:41 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

FMS Primorsky Reg chief arrested on bribery charges.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/181644.html

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VLADIVOSTOK, July 8 (Itar-Tass) — The Leninsky district court in Vladivostok ruled on Friday to arrest the chief of the Federal Migration Service's Primorsky regional department, Alexander Mukhin, suspected of bribe taking, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee's regional department told Itar-Tass.

A criminal case was opened against the official on July 5 on bribery charges. According to the information of law enforcement authorities, Mukhin had a criminal agreement with a group of persons, not migration service employees, who found people seeking a speedily issued passport for foreign travel. For the accelerated passport issuing procedure, the chief received a sum that was agreed upon beforehand.

Part of the money given to Mukhin as a bribe and other things and documents have been taken as evidence in the investigation.

Mukhin previously headed the Kamchatka Territory's police department. He was invited to work in the FMS Primorsky department and appointed to the position last spring.

11:26 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

Far East forest fire area does not decrease despite rains.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/181757.html

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KHABAROVSK, July 8 (Itar-Tass) — The area of forest fires in Russia’s Far East is not decreasing, despite rains. Five fires were liquidated in the region on Thursday, but there have been five new outbreaks of fires in the taiga because of thunderstorms.

“By Friday morning, seven fires at a total area of 195 hectares have been registered. There are four fires in Yakutia - 158 hectares of forest are burning there. Three forest fires continue in Chukotka and in the Amur region, the Far Eastern Federal District’s Forestry Department told Itar-Tass on Friday. There are no fires in other territories of the Far East.

There is no threat to human settlements and economic facilities there.

“New thermal anomalies are observed daily in the Fast East during monitoring of the fire hazard situation with the use of the space data system,” the Far Eastern Regional Emergencies Centre reported. Satellite information helps quickly identify spots of fire in remote taiga areas.

08:39 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

No major fires in Siberia, 19 wildfires put out Thur.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/181643.html

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KRASNOYARSK, July 8 (Itar-Tass) — There are no more major fires in Siberia, 19 spots of wildfires were liquidated on Thursday at an area of about 1.5 thousand hectares, the press service of the Siberian regional emergencies centre told Itar-Tass.

On Friday morning, the region was affected by 10 fires at an area of 455.7 hectares. Of these, five forest fires were localised at an area of 234.5 hectares.

The main cause of the fires is dry thunderstorms.

Despite the improvement of the situation, fire inspectors and foresters continue to struggle now against violators of forest fire safety requirements. On Thursday, they conducted 278 raids to identify such violators. In order to limit people’s access to forests and monitor the situation they have set up 746 mobile and stationary posts.

07:00 08/07/2011ALL NEWS

Russia’s First Lady congratulates nation on Family Day.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/181614.html

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MOSCOW, July 8 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva on Friday congratulated the nation on the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity the introduction of which she encouraged in 2008 and offered a daisy as a symbol of the new holiday.

“The family is a pillar of support for a person. It provides the happiness of motherhood and fatherhood, forms the character and life values of a child, plays a specific role in the development of society and upbringing of the young on high spiritual and moral ideals,” she said in a message published by Rossiyskaya gazeta.

The holiday which is often called a version of St. Valentine’s Day was introduced in 2008 and is marked on July 8, the day the Russian Orthodox Church commemorates St. Peter and Fevroniya of Murom – actual characters from an early 13-th century chronicle.

Prince Peter’s love to Fevroniya was so strong that when his counselors objected his marriage with a commoner, Peter abdicated the throne and left the city with his wife. Peter and Fevroniya took monastic vows when they grew old and lived in different monasteries, but died on the same day and at the same hour. They asked to be buried in one coffin, but people thought this was an improper request and buried them in different caskets and even in different monasteries. Then, a miracle happened – on the day after the burial, the bodies were in one coffin. Three hundred years later the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Peter and Fevroniya as saints.

Medvedeva said although the holiday commemorates Russian Orthodox Church saints “it has been supported by all traditional Russian confessions” as “since times immemorial marital fidelity, care about children and the elderly have been the main values in our country.”