Swine-Fever Outbreaks Found in 2 Regions, Russian Watchdog Says

Swine-Fever Outbreaks Found in 2 Regions, Russian Watchdog Says

Outbreaks of African swine fever in boars were registered in Russia’s Volgograd and Tver regions, the country’s veterinary service said in an e-mailed statement today.

The disease has been found in wild animals and some farms in areas including the central Kursk and Voronezh regions, the southern regions of Rostov and Krasnodar and the northern Murmansk and Leningrad regions, according to statements this year from Rosselkhoznadzor, as the service is known.

African swine fever is a viral disease which is lethal for pigs and harmless to people, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yuliya Fedorinova in Moscow at yfedorinova@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Viljoen at jviljoen@bloomberg.net

13:05 30/11/2011ALL NEWS

Association of Russian fans to defend fans’ rights with all available means

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/285218.html

MOSCOW, November 30 (Itar-Tass) —— The national association of football fans is going to defend the rights of football fans within the framework of the existing legislation with all available means.

The association’s press-service issued a special statement to this effect, obtained by Itar-Tass, over the incident involving a player of the Krasnodar soccer club, Spartak Gogniyev. The international trade union of footballers on Tuesday made public a video recording of the incident that occurred in a 30th round match of the national youth championship between Grozny’s Terek and Krasnodar clubs. The match was interrupted by a mass fight on the pitch and on the sidelines. In the 73rd minute the chief referee, Alexei Amelin, halted play, and then inspector Alexei Rumyantsev ruled that continuing the game would be impossible. Gogniyev, who was in the focus of the incident, was beaten up by the fans. The video shows the moment when the player was leaving the field and the beginning of the fight on the running lanes.

The fans’ association said it was shocked by the video recording of the player being beaten up.

“We believe that such incidents are a factor that by no means contributes to the popularity of football in our country, Besides, among the football fans it is a custom to address issues where verbal arguments work no longer in a fair manner – one on one. It was disgusting to sea one man being attacked by an assorted crowd, including police,” the statement said.

The fans’ association is going to make public all such incidents in relation to soccer fans, too, and to take the cases to court.

“It is not our business to make legal evaluations of such affairs. But, regrettably, we have to state that such attacks against soccer fans happen regularly. The public tends to pay no attention to them, because soccer fans are seen as the main destructive force in the world of soccer. We do hope that the video recording of the incident in Grozny will make the sports community not only to pay attention and react to instances of violence against players and representatives of clubs, but also take a fresh look at the abuse of the rights of fans.

Gogniyev said that the video showing his beating was of no interest to him.

The association of fans promised that it would not be a humble defendant, but campaign for the rights of people on the stands within the framework of the existing legislation by all available means.

PRESS DIGEST - Russia - Nov 30

The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- Mosmetrostroi, a company controlled by Russia's richest state official Vladimir Kogan, has won more than a 30 percent share in a 258 billion rouble ($8.26 billion) project from Moscow city authorities to expand the metro network by 2014.

- The leader of the political party "Patriots of Russia" Gennady Semigin says in an interview ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday that his party relies on medium-sized businesses who do not "look towards the West".

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Leaders of some opposition parties were warned by Moscow police against carryingout illegal demonstrations on Dec. 4, when Russia holds its parliamentary elections, the daily says, adding that only pro-Kremlin movements have received permission to hold rallies in the capital.

- Russia is introducing new diplomatic positions at its embassies abroad which will be aimed at attracting foreign scientists and useful technologies for the modernisation of Russia's economy.

- Almost 51,500 police and security officials will be on duty during the Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA

www.ng.ru

- Vladimir Putin's election programme for the presidential election will be presented in January and will differ from United Russia's because he seems to be unhappy with the success of the ruling party, the daily says.

ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA

www.rg.ru

- A group of lawmakers have asked prosecutors to check the legality of independent election observer Golos' activities, which they say may interfere in the parliamentary election campaign and attempt to influence the results of the voting on Dec. 4.

RBK Daily

www.rbcdaily.ru

- Russia's Lukoil is apparently in talks with U.S. major ExxonMobil on buying its share in the Western Qurna-1 project to become Shells' partner in the development of the Iranian oilfield.

- Geotech Oil Services Holding, co-owned by oil trader Gennady Timchenko, is about to closing a deal on a merger with two oilfield services giants Integra and Schumberger, head of Geotech Nikolai Levitsky says in an interview.

MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS

www.mk.ru

- Sophie Loren's purse, which was presented to the governor of Russia's Kusbass coal mining region Aman Tuleev in October is said to have been sold at a local charity auction for 7 million roubles, the daily says, adding the money will be spent on medical supplies for local children.