Inquiry into loss of trawler in Sea of Okhotsk begins.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Kamchatka's
transport prosecutor begins the inquiry into the loss of Russia's trawler
Amethyst in the Sea of Okhotsk off Kamchatka, the prosecutor's office told
Itar-Tass on Monday.
There are 23 crewmembers onboard. The trawler is owned by the
Kamchatka Fisheries and Oceanography Research Institute (KamchatNIRO). The
trawler registered in the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky went crab
fishing.
Communication was lost with the ship on February 12. It stopped to
transmit daily position reports through the satellite navigation system.
The trawler's last reported position was at 58 degrees 30 minutes of
northern latitude and 155 degrees and 32 minutes of eastern longitude.
The trawler sent no SOS signals and the emergency beacon lights were
not registered.
A rescue operation is underway. Eight different vessels are engaged in
the rescue operation. Later on Monday an Il-38 military plane and a
helicopter will join.
The location of the trawler has not been found. The fate of the crew
has not been known yet.
According to Kamchatka's hydrometeorological centre, snowstorm with
wind gusts of up to 20 meters per second is expected in the Shelekhov Bay,
where the rescue operation is continuing.



.North Korea, China security ministries seal cooperation deal.

PYONGYANG, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - North Korea and China signed an
agreement to step up security cooperation on Sunday.
North Korea's Minister of People's Security Ju Sang Song and China's
Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu, put their signatures to the
document at a ceremony in Pyongyang, the Korean Central News Agency
reported.
Ju Sang Song noted that the Chinese delegation's visit will contribute
to the development of friendship relations between the two neighbouring
countries.
He reiterated that last year North Korea's leader made two visits to
China, where he held talks with the country's authorities.
Stronger traditional relations of friendship with China remain from
generation to generation an unchanged position of North Korea's Workers
Party and the country's government, Ju Sang Song said.
Meng Jianzhu in turn expressed confidence that North Korea's people
will reach success in building a prosperous socialist state under the
leadership of Kim Jong-il.



.Congress of Pediatricians of Russia opens in Moscow.

MOSCOW, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - The Congress of Pediatricians of
Russia that opens in Moscow on Monday will discuss pressing problems in
pediatrics.
According to the Health and Social Development Ministry, among other
issues it will focus on the implementation of the national health project.
The strengthening of the medical genetics network, the creation of
care centres for mothers with pathologies and newborns will be discussed.
The congress will also focus on unresolved issues of vaccinal
prevention. In particular, as of January 1, 2011, the national
immunization program was supplemented by a vaccine against Haemophilus
influenza. Thus, Russia's program contains eleven vaccines.
However, many experts insist the immunization schedule should be
expanded. For instance, the U.S. national immunization schedule includes
15 items.
Russia's medical experts propose to include into the national schedule
vaccines against pneumococcal disease and papillomavirus.
On the first day of the Congress Russia's chief sanitary doctor
Gennady Onishchenko will report on measures to reduce children's infection
rates.

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