.Classes cancelled in Kamchatka's schools over heavy snowstorm.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Classes have been
cancelled in Kamchatka's schools over heavy snowstorm, the
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky education department said on Monday.
The regional hydrometeorological centre told Itar-Tass the snowstorm
is caused by a cyclone that approached the peninsula's southern coast from
Japan. It brought snow and windstorm.
In the northwest of Kamchatka wind gusts reach up to 30 meters per
second and in Cape Lopatka, the southernmost point of Kamchatka Peninsula,
- up to 33 meters per second.
The atmospheric storm is moving to the north. It will grip the
southern regions within another 24 hours.
Kamchatka's avalanche centre warns of high avalanche danger in
mountainous regions.



.Bad weather prevents search of trawler lost off Kamchatka.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Bad weather on
Kamchatka Peninsula prevents rescuers to engage aviation in the search of
Russia's trawler Amethyst that was lost in the Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka's
rescue centre told Itar-Tass on Monday.
The fate of the crew remains unknown. According to specified
information, there are 23 crewmembers onboard.
In the search area wind gusts reach 25 meters per second. The
windstorm is accompanied by heavy snow, which aggravates the rescue
operation.
Communication with the ship was lost on February 11. 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. At
that moment the trawler had 12 tonnes of fuel in reserve with the daily
consumption of 3 tonnes.
The trawler sent no SOS signals and the emergency beacon lights were
not registered.
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.
The search and rescue operation has been underway for the third day.
Eight different vessels are engaged in the operation.
Kamchatka territory governor Alexei Kuzmitsky took the operation under
his personal control.



.Time change affects health of adults and children - academician.

MOSCOW, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Setting clocks back and ahead to
save daylight time exerts a negative effect on human health, said
Alexander Baranov, chief pediatrician of the Russian Health and Social
Development Ministry and the director of the child health care research
centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
He fully supported the initiative of Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev, who last week instructed to stop putting clocks one hour back
starting from this autumn.
"The president is absolutely right, I fully support him," he said.
"Setting clocks back and ahead has a negative influence on health, mood
and working ability."
"Children especially suffer from the time change, when they have to be
woken up earlier," the academician said.



.Russia's Health Ministry reports 25% decline in tuberculosis cases.


MOSCOW, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Health and Social
Development Ministry reports a 25 percent decline in tuberculosis cases.
"Over the past four years as a result of special measures the
efficiency of basic course treatment of patients with newly diagnosed
tuberculosis increased by 9.2 percent. The efficiency of in-patient
recovery grew by 16 percent and hospital mortality reduced by one and a
half times," the ministry's press service said.
"Efficiency of the measures taken is proved by the fact that over the
past four years the spread of tuberculosis among population shrank by 25.3
percent," the source said.


.Primorye government subsidises local agriculture companies.

VLADIVOSTOK, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Primorsky Territory
will extend 700 million roubles in subsidies to agricultural companies to
boost production, the region's agriculture and food department told
Itar-Tass on Monday.
As of January 1, 2011, around 250 agricultural producers addressed the
regional government for support.
Farmers will use subsidies to increase production, buy agricultural
machinery and pedigree cattle.
Last year's financial assistance from the regional budget helped to
boost the production - the production growth in agricultural organizations
comprised 11.3 percent and farms - 15.2 percent. Over 900 households
received state support, which allowed to increase the production of soy,
buckwheat, corn, vegetables and rice.
The production of meat grew by 12.6 percent and of eggs - by over 7
percent.

-0-isk/


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