Russia's communications minister begins visit to US.

MOSCOW, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Minister of Communications and
Mass Media Igor Shchegolev begins his visit to the United States on Monday
to discuss stronger cooperation in high-tech sectors.
The minister will hold talks with representatives of the U.S.' leading
communications companies, a source in the Ministry of Communications and
Mass Media told Itar-Tass.
"Moreover, in San Francisco Shchegolev will visit Pixar Animation
Studios, Juniper Networks, Infinera, Apple and Motorola as well as Bell
Labs research and development centre," the source said.
The Russian delegation plans to discuss with foreign partners
cooperation in 3D broadcasting, digital TV, media technologies,
innovations for wireless technologies, embedded communications systems and
recent achievements in the development of microsystems.
Localization of the equipment manufacturing in Russia will be high on
the talks' agenda.



.Central China mine blast traps 58 people.

BEIJING, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - A blast hit coal mine in Central China'
s Henan Province early on Monday trapping 58 miners underground, the
Xinhua news agency said with reference to the state administration of work
safety.
The accident took place in Pingdingshan city, Weidong district. There
were 64 miners in the mine when the explosion ripped through. Six people
were brought to the surface.



.New York to host 4th conference of Russian compatriots in Americas.

NEW YORK, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - New York will host the fourth regional
conference of Russian compatriots living in the Americas on July 9, the
forum's organizing committee said on Sunday.
Taking part in the forum will be representatives of Russian Diasporas
from 16 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Venezuela, Uruguay and the United States.
Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian
embassy in the U.S. and Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, who
administers the Patriarchal Parishes in the United States will open the
event.
Delegates of the conference will adopt a resolution to draw the
guidelines for strengthening relations between Russian Diasporas in the
region and multifaceted relations with the homeland.
The first regional conference of Russian compatriots living in the
Americas took place in San Paulo, Brazil, in May 2007.


.US Navy highly appreciates cooperation with Russia in Gulf of Aden.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - The U.S. Navy highly appreciates
cooperation with Russia's Navy in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of
Aden, said the commander of the U.S. Navy Third Fleet, VAdm Rock Hunt.
He noted that the problem of security in the Gulf of Aden is a serious
challenge, to which it is necessary to develop a joint response.
He visited Russia's missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of Russia's
Pacific Fleet, that began its unofficial visit to the United States to
boost cooperation between the two countries' fleets.
Russia's Rear Admiral Vladimir Kasatov stressed that the two
countries' fleets "face more and more joint tasks."
"Our ships cooperate in the Gulf of Aden and in coastal guard
missions. We will master our cooperation off San Francisco with the
aircraft carrier Bunker Hill and thus will make one more step towards
improving our relations," he said.
The visit will last until June 25. After this the Varyag and Bunker
Hill will hold two-day drills.


.Dnepr booster with Germany's sat launched from Baikonur.

MOSCOW, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Dnepr booster rocket with
Germany's new Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X has been successfully
launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome.
"The booster was launched from a silo of the southern cosmodrome at
06:14," a spokesman for the Russian Rocket Strategic Forces, Vadim Koval,
told Itar-Tass on Monday.



.Dnepr booster with Germany's sat launched from Baikonur.
(adds)

MOSCOW, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Dnepr booster rocket with
Germany's new Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X has been successfully
launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome.
"The booster was launched from a silo of the southern cosmodrome at
06:14 Moscow time," a spokesman for the Russian Rocket Strategic Forces,
Vadim Koval, told Itar-Tass on Monday.
"The satellite is expected to separate from the booster rocket at
06:29 Moscow time," this will happen outside the radio coverage zone with
Russia, the Russian federal space agency said.
Cosmotras Company that organizes the launches of Dnepr brings together
Russian and Ukrainian enterprises. At present, a Dnepr booster rocket that
was converted from the world's biggest intercontinental ballistic missile
known as the SS-18 Satan carried out 14 successful launches and brought 50
satellites into space.
Dnepr boosters are launched from three silos at the Baikonur
cosmodrome and for commercial purposes - from a silo at the launching pad
in Yasny, the Orenburg region.

.Russia's Dnepr brings Germany's sat into orbit.

MOSCOW, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Dnepr booster rocket has
successfully brought Germany's new Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X
into the final orbit.
"At 06:29 Moscow time Germany's satellite separated from the booster
rocket," a spokesman for the Russian Rocket Strategic Forces, Vadim Koval,
told Itar-Tass on Monday.

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