Russia to preserve meat import quotas up to 2017.

MOSCOW, July 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia is likely to preserve meat
import quotas up to 2017 despite US and European objections, according to Chairman of the Russian Agro-Industrial Union Ivan Obolentsev.

"Most likely we shall stick to restrictions in the access of the
products to the Russian market," he said on Thursday.
"Importers from the United States and the EU have to understand us
because billions of dollars both Russian and foreign have been invested in
the industry. Billions of rubles of state subsidies are provided," he said.
"We hope for understanding of our partners and we shall strictly
regulate the access of the products through customs and tariff quotas up
to 2017. After that we shall switch to using customs duties," Obolentsev
said, adding the duties will be less than 30 percent on average.
Russia has been regulating meat imports since the spring of 2003.
A Russian government official told Tass beef imports grew 17.4 percent
in Russia while domestic production has declined in the first four months
of the year.
First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will chair a meeting in
Tyumen region on Friday to consider measures to improve the situation.

.Russian police seize wanted gang leader, 20 accomplices.


MOSCOW, July 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Police nabbed in Moscow the gang leader
of a criminal group from the city of Saransk and his main accomplice. A
total of twenty bandits from the criminal group have been arrested as for
today, spokesman of the criminal department of the Russian interior
ministry Andrei Zlyden told Tass on Thursday.
He said Sergei Deniskin is accused of 17 grave crimes, including nine
murders, three abductions, and five armed assaults. The gang leader was on
the international wanted list.
"The criminal group included people with criminal record, and
representatives of authorities have been involved in its activities,"
Zlyden said.
Police also seized Deniskin's right-hand man Stanislav Vechkenzin who
was "in charge of the criminal business to provide intimate services and
engaged in racketeering and abductions."
Zlyden said the two have disclosed their arms cashe in a forest in
Mordovia, where police found two grenade launchers, three submachine guns,
two pistols and three revolvers, three silencers, two hunting guns with
cartridges.
Gang members are accused of organizing a criminal group, banditry,
murder, racketeering, inflicting heavy health damage, illegal arms
turnover.

.Massive slave labor exposed in Dagestan.

MOSCOW, July 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Numerous cases of slave labor have been
exposed at brickyards in Dagestan in North Caucasus and the operation of
the facilities has been suspended, the office of the Russian prosecutor
general said on Thursday.
It said regional prosecutors had exposed that head of the
Eurostroicomplekt facility Rajab Rajabov promised high earnings to
homeless people, but instead withdrew their documents, paid no wages and
made them work long shifts without any days-off, and did not allow to
leave the territory of the enterprise.
So far Rajabov has been fined for violating labor legislation, and the
regional Investigation committee is currently considering a criminal case
against him for the use of slave labor.
Dagestani prosecutors also checked 13 other brickyards in the city of
Kaspiisk. "It has been established that the heads of the enterprises
employed illegal migrants," the office said.
Kaspiisk prosecutor launched 155 administrative cases against the
heads of the enterprises and 107 suits were filed to pay wages to the
workers.
The office of the city prosecutor requested to disqualify the
directors of the brickyards and suspend their operations.

.One killed, over 300 injured in Chinese quake.

BEIJING, July 10 (Itar-Tass) -- One person was killed and 328 injured
by an earthquake force 6 Richter scale in southwest China, the Xina portal
reported on Friday.
The earthquake on Thursday night hit the Yunnan province's Yaoan
county. The first powerful tremor was followed by eight aftershocks with a
magnitude from 3 to 4.1.
10,000 homes collapsed and close to 1,2 million people were affected.
Rescuers are working in quake areas and authorities are handing out
tents, food and medicines to the people.

.Three earthquakes registered on Russia's Pacific coast.

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, July 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Three earthquakes were
registered near the Russian Pacific coast on Thursday.
The Geophysical Service said on Friday the most powerful tremor force
4.9 Richter scale was registered in the area of Commander Islands. An
earthquake force 4.5 occurred near South Kurile Islands, while tremors
force 3.8 were reported in the Sea of Okhotsk overnight.
The epicenters were located at depths from 50 to 500 kilometers.
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