Fishing co chief ends hunger strike in Vietnam over wage arrears.

VLADIVOSTOK, December 26 (Itar-Tass) - Director-general of Antel
Seafood Group fishing company, Sergei Platonenko, has stopped a hunger
strike in Vietnam demanding settlement of wage arrears to 22 Russian and
foreign fishermen and coastal workers.
Antel Seafood Group includes Antel Investment Limited with a fleet of
tuna boats, where mainly Russian citizens work. Earlier four tuna boats
went on a hunger strike. The wage arrears comprise 930,000 U.S. dollars,
the capital of the Phu Hai-1, Alexander Onufrienko, said.
The company's owner, Russian citizen Viktoria Tikhacheva, is expected
to arrive in Vietnam on December 30, the captain said.
"We hope that the wage debts will be paid off," Onufrienko told
Itar-Tass. "Therefore all protest actions were stopped."
The company's fishing boats flying the flag of Belize are staying in
ports of Cam Ranh and Vung Tau. The crewmembers include Russian citizens
from the Primorye Territory, Kolyma and other Russian regions.
During December seven people participated in the hunger strikes. The
tuna boats remain in the ports without fuel, fresh water and electric
power.
Sergei Platonenko's health worsened, he lost much weight during the
hunger strike. At present, hunger strikers were given the hope that the
situation with wage debts will be resolved, Onufrienko said.


.Lilac blossoming in Russia's Black Sea resorts on New Year's Eve.

KRASNODAR, December 26 (Itar-Tass) - Residents of Russia's Black Sea
resort of Anapa congratulate each other upon the upcoming New Year with
fresh lilac bouquets, as it began to blossom in many backyards over
abnormally warm weather this December.
It looks like March, although on the calendar the New Year is coming,
Anapa city mayor Tatyana Yevsikova told Itar-Tass.
Aside from lilac local gardens and backyards are full of blossoming
plum, cherry, blackcurrant and vine.
Local farmers fear that blossoming trees may die in January as frosts
come.
On Saturday, temperature reached 20 degrees above zero in the city of
Krasnodar, almost 160 kilometers of Anapa.
Local weather forecasters say within days temperature will decrease,
clouds and rain will come.
Residents and guests of the Black Sea resorts will welcome in the New
Year without snow, it is expected only in the first days of January 2011.



.Heavy snow storm cripples Russia's Far East.

KHABAROVSK, December 26 (Itar-Tass) - A heavy snow storm that has been
gripping Russia's Khabarovsk Territory for two days blocked traffic in
Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and other towns and villages of Russia's
Far East.
According to the Far Eastern meteorological service, in some areas
snow drifts exceed 40-50 centimetres, in central and eastern districts the
monthly precipitation norm was exceeded.
Wind gusts exceed 28 meters per second in the Tatar Strait ad the Sea
of Okhotsk.
Heavy storm hampered the ferry service between Vanino-Kholmsk
connecting the Sakhalin Island with the mainland.
Bus routes between Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Primorye Territory and the
Jewish Autonomous Region were closed over freezing drizzle and high snow
drifts.
Most flights were delayed and cancelled in the airport of Khabarovsk.
Weather forecasters say the situation can temporarily improve on
Monday or Tuesday, then a new cyclone will hit the region. Snow storm will
continue until January 4.

-0-isk/